ALBUM REVIEW

Foo Fighters, led by the mighty Dave Grohl, appear invigorated on their latest album and reach new heights, despite low expectations

Concrete and Gold Foo Fighters (RCA records)

Listening to the new album by Foo Fighters, you realise it was no coincidence they recorded it at both the same time and same studio as Queens of The Stone Age.

The freewheeling spirit that laced the latter’s stellar album Villains also courses through Concrete and Gold. The only difference being that with the Foo Fighters, it has finally yielded quality songs.

To be fair, frontman and guitarist Dave Grohl always had ambitions with each album. However, whether it was the rock travelogue that was 2014’s Sonic Highways or the contrived back to basics of 2011’s Wasting

Light, the end results never matched the expectation.

With Concrete and Gold, it seems the sextet focused on jamming without expectations. The approach works; lead single Run is invigorating. The track heaves from a gentle folk introduction to a kraut-rock explosion with Grohl’s vocals at their screeching best.

Make it Right rides along on a heavy rock groove and punchy vocals, while the limber The Sky is a Neighbourhood moves from a strippeddown intro into a regal power ballad of Lennon-esque proportions.

The closer is the grand title track, which acts as a love letter to Grohl’s influences: a mix of ethereal Pink Floyd-eseque vocals and slashing Black Sabbath-style riffs.

The best thing about it all is that it never seems like homework. Nine albums in and the Foo Fighters finally sound adventurous.