Foo Fighters’ last album, 2023 But here we are, It was a profound act of public grief and the band’s first music since the tragic death of beloved drummer Taylor Hawkins just a year ago. “Someone said I’d never see your face again/Part of me can’t believe it’s true,” Dave Grohl sings on the LP’s determination anthem “Under You.” Seeming eerily well-adjusted has always been a hallmark for a band that’s been around for 30 years, and watching them work through such a huge loss in real time is perhaps the most emotionally intense listen of their discography. That is, until now. The band’s 12th album, your favorite toy, This is the next chapter in the story of overcoming grief and moving on. But while their previous work had a more introspective tone, their latest album is all about high-energy garage rock catharsis, where you walk into a room, blow it up, and let the noise be your guide.
“Me? Me? Me?” Grohl repeats in a vengeful slur at the beginning of album opener “Caught in the Echo.” He asks questions that feel like orders, as indecisive as honest declarations of war. This song is intense. The band’s three guitarists, propelled by new drummer Ilan Rubin, lock in riffs that sound like punk torpedoes that could have come off a Fugazi record. The song builds tension until Grohl’s drill sergeant’s “Do I?” question resolves into a more direct question: “Who will save us now?” That’s what he’ll be demystifying on many of the songs here. “I’m a puddle on the ground,” he admits on the eerie-sounding “Window,” before the guitar notes let in sunlight and he brightens up as he sees the faces of his loved ones. On “Your Favorite Toy,” Grohl howls at shallow distractions in a maelstrom of glam-grunge and offers a bit of rock-star admonition wisdom: “Don’t choke on glitter,” but it’s a deeply resonant turning point in his story. But when he sings, “It’s not a shame/It’s not a shame,” he says mockingly on “If You Only Know,” a haymaker perfect for the Sabbath. He says this as if the idea of slowing down because of his past isn’t an option, at least for him.
But that doesn’t mean the ghosts here aren’t scary. The album’s most moving song is “Of All People,” in which Grohl meets a drug dealer who used to sell to rock’n’roll’s elite. The song’s 80s LA punk riff is moving, evoking the sub-zero spirit of the scene, and his sense of dread at seeing this person still roaming the streets hits home. “You know you’d be better off dead/But instead you’re alive,” he sings. This song tackles a universal moral mystery. “Good people often leave us long before their time, so why don’t bad things happen to bad people?” That’s pretty deep for a two-and-a-half minute power pop ripper.
The answer to this apparently inevitable question comes in songs like “Spit Shine.” There’s an explosion of fiery guitars and dervish drum pounding, and Grohl pops out of the blur to remind us, “Remember, you’ll be lucky if you make it out alive.” favorite toy You could get cut or hurt. Sometimes it’s downright dark (such as the moody assessment of fame in “Child Star” or the pessimistic and politicized “Amen, Caveman”). But with 10 fast and extremely catchy songs, it flies by and keeps you hooked over and over again. The songs here begin with surprisingly brave determination and build into big, sophisticated choruses, the work of people who firmly believe in the power of heroic, high-protein mainstream alternative rock as a remedy against the encroaching darkness. The album ends with the emotional centerpiece “Asking for a Friend.” The song begins with the speed of a power ballad and ends with a statement of purpose hurtling toward a hopeful horizon. “I’m looking for something to pray/Words to use/To forget about my worries,” Grohl sings. He found the word here.
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