IN REVIEW: Foo Fighters - "Sonic Highways"

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Considering how beautifully Dave Grohl's Sound City project worked, the prospect of Sonic Highways was good reason to be excited for the eighth Foo Fighters record. Rather than telling the story of one studio and its magical mixing board, the Foos embarked on a journey that would take them to some of America's most notable musical meccas, all the while talking about the cities' rich histories with the people who were there. To cap it all off, the Foos and producer Butch Vig would record a song at each stop, drawing inspiration from the surroundings to create something truly special.

That the execution of the idea can't live up to the idea itself doesn't doom Sonic Highways, but it does result in a modicum of disappointment. Perhaps it's because the band had frameworks for the songs in place beforehand, perhaps the constant time pressures of having to get the song to tape in time to catch the next flight prevented the songs from receiving a proper level of care. Whatever the case, for all the perceived notion of drawing influence from the trip, it feels like this album could have turned out the same way without all the added travel expenses.

It's no one's fault, but any outside influence is minimized or deflected away from the Foos' core sound; there's barely a hint of country in Congregation (recorded in Nashville), little to no brass (courtesy of the legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band) on New Orleans track In The Clear. It's not like I expected the band to completely change style from one song to next, but I also didn't expect every song to resist outside influence so stubbornly.

That's not to say the songs are bad and, indeed, there are some real ragers here. Something From Nothing, complete with its nod to Holy Diver, builds in intensity until its fire can barely be contained. The two-part first half closer What Did I Do?/God As My Witness plays with the listener's heads, stopping and starting along the way to a grand, All The Young Dudes-referencing finale. And closing track I Am A River, as long and drawn out as it is, is sure to slay at stadiums over the coming years.

As a case study of (and tribute to) America's rich musical history, Sonic Highways is wonderful, especially when accompanied by the HBO series as a guide to some of Dave's lyrical references. Clearly, he's having a great time with it all, and I know he's got genuine love for the craft. I just can't shake the feeling that, for all the miles logged on the journey, Sonic Highways doesn't quite go far enough.

November 10, 2014 • Roswell/RCA
Highlights Something From Nothing • What Did I Do?/God As My Witness • I Am a River

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