Foo Fighters – ‘But Here We Are’ album review
For any Foo Fighters fan, getting to this point felt almost impossible a year ago. After the tragic passing of drummer Taylor Hawkins, the band was left in limbo as to what would happen next and whether they should continue. Like Dave Grohl and the gang have done a thousand times before, they have used music to help heal their wounds on But Here We Are.
Over ten tracks, this album feels more like a cathartic listen between the band and audience as they come together to grieve the loss of a dear friend. Starting with ‘Rescued’, Grohl doesn’t even begin to try and hide what it’s about, with the opening line about everything coming in a flash and then being over encapsulating their situation perfectly.
Though both ‘Rescued’ and ‘Under You’ are probably the most radio-friendly on the entire project, this feels like an album that needs to be digested to get the full picture. Compared to the dance vibes in Medicine at Midnight, every track has a different musical spirit, as if going through the different stages of grief in song.
‘Hearing Voices’ is one of the main stages of suffering, as Grohl talks about hearing the ghosts of the past along the wind as he makes his way through life. The primarily acoustic section towards the end also evokes some of the acoustic material of early Zeppelin work, as if the spirit in the song is slowly slipping away.
Granted, this album isn’t all about the torturous feeling regarding the loss of their friend. Across some of the more pointed tracks, like the title song and ‘Nothing At All’, Grohl seems to harbour a certain anger towards the situation, either at Hawkins for leaving him or fate for taking this morbid turn. As opposed to just making a bunch of songs as a reaction to Hawkins’s death, ‘Under You’ is the one spot of optimism, with a knockout chorus and a melody that immediately brings to mind a montage of some of the best moments that the band had with their old friend.
Lyrically, this might be up there with some of the best Foo Fighters projects, but it’s not necessarily aces from back to front. Being their third go-around with producer Greg Kurstin, his production style doesn’t seem to suit them very well on this record, with some of the performances feeling like the band is either holding something back or on the verge of clipping.
And while some of the songs might hold a special place in the hearts of Foos fans everywhere, they’re not exactly cut out to be singles. As much as a song like ‘Beyond Me’ might be lyrically solid, the melody is not exactly as catchy as when the band were the lean rock and roll machine behind The Colour and the Shape.
Granted, great performances can often shine through any standard production, and there will most likely never be a bad performance on a Foos record. With Grohl behind the drumkit, his precision almost hints back to his time in Queens of the Stone Age with his inventive snare rolls, alongside Pat Smear’s ability to make the guitar sound like a swarm of bees. The addition of Grohl’s daughter Violet on ‘Show Me How’ is also a nice touch, having a smoky vocal reminiscent of singers like Amy Winehouse.
Although no one is mentioned specifically in the lyrics, Grohl’s way of interpreting death isn’t too different from talking about a romantic relationship. In ‘The Glass’, that barrier between Grohl and this character could be the other side of existence or just regarding friends who aren’t communicating properly.
While it would be easy for someone to walk away from this record as a fairly enjoyable Foo Fighters project, they save some of the best material for last. Since the album is also a tribute to Grohl’s mother, the song ‘The Teacher’ feels like encapsulating all the grief that comes with death into one ten-minute experience.
As Grohl gets further into the song, he’s almost working through his emotions in real-time, carefully strumming his guitar as he sings about his mother teaching him how to breathe but never how to say goodbye. While this might be the closest answer to the Foos’ answer to ‘Shine on You Crazy Diamond’, the song ‘Rest’ should come with a box of tissues for fans.
Written as a stately ballad saying a final farewell, the lack of drums for the first two minutes of the track speaks for itself, as the band continue to make music despite one of the most important parts of their sound missing. Once the song reaches its end, including a riff reminiscent of ‘Congregation’ off Sonic Highways might be a subtle nod to one day seeing Hawkins on the other side.
While it’s hard to call But Here We Are a classic Foo Fighters record, it’s definitely a record that should garner respect later as the band comb through their back pages to celebrate their own story of survival. It might hurt to be dealt this kind of blow, but it takes the strong to get back up, and Foo Fighters have come out on the other side stronger for it.
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