Any Foo Fighters album release feels like an 'event' - but none more so than Sonic Highways. With eight songs recorded in eight iconic studios in eight US cities, it was already a musical map of America by design - but where do those roads take Foo Fighters?
Will it be a vanity project that acts as a vehicle for the same old standard Foos fare, or will their own challenge push them to find new ways to pay tribute to the places and the heroes that they set out to find?
Well, you may have got a taster of what they've pulled off from the episodes of the documentary of the same name that have aired so far, but what of the rest of the record? To find out, here is our track by track guide and review to Sonic Highways.
1. 'Something From Nothing'
Inspired by Chicago, you can really hear the legends of the Windy City blowing through this epic opener. With a little help from local hero Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick, 'Something From Nothing' starts as a slow-building, brooding number before quickly blossoming into a dose of searing, stadium-filling, classic Foos. Produced by none other than In Utero's Steve Albini, the track paints a vivid picture of 'a city on fire' that leans on grunge and even funk before the crescendo of Grohl's trademark howl. With a fitting nod and tribute to Dio's 'Holy Diver', the first offering from Sonic Highways makes for a pretty perfect album intro and appetizer for all that follows.
2. 'The Feast And The Famine'
The Washington punk scene that shaped Grohl in his teen years is what pumps this angry bastard with so much youthful defiance it spits in the face the face of adversity. A breakneck rocker that is going to explode at their upcoming live shows.
3. 'Congregation'
From the episode that focusses on the rich country history of Nashville, more than a little of that open road, barnstorming Western Americana saturates this charming call to arms. It draws upon the spiritual world to make you feel as if music is the only religion.
4. 'What Did I Do/God As My Witness'
"There you go again, putting words into my mouth," snarls Grohl over twinkling keys before the track flows into an uplifting anthem, with that same sense of life and energy that could sit quite comfortably on The Colour And The Shape. Ably asssisted by axe-master Gary Clark Jr, the track rocks to a gentle stop before the latter half sways and cradles with stadium Beatles-esque anthemics. This is going to be one to get those lighters up in the air.
5. 'Outside'
Refreshingly, the least Foos-esque track on the album. Grohl subtly croons like an understated Robert Plant over a rich tapestry of classic rock before an interlude courtesy of some desert-rock, QOTSA meets psychedelic freeform jamming. Then it's business as usual as Grohl bellows the track to a close.
6. 'In The Clear'
"There are days I might not make it, there are days I might start breaking," pines Grohl over a gradually building guitar before an angular beat underlies his vulnerability. It's a fairly straight-forward mid-tempo number, before a breath of fresh air comes in the form of some unexpected accompanying horns and Coldplay-esque backing vocals.
7. 'Subterranean'
The opening of acoustic guitar and airy strings give this penultimate track something of a classic Pink Floyd or 'Space Oddity' era Bowie vibe - and indeed, it's the most cinematic and interesting moment on the record. Clocking in at over six minutes, its a fully widescreen realisation and a tribute to the scope and eclecticism that Foos are more than capable of, but not always credited for.
8. 'I Am A River'
The strings from the previous track blend into the closer as heavenly sounds fade into cherubic guitar-duelling before Grohl tenderly sighs "There is a secret, I found a secret, behind the Soho door - there is a reason, I found the reason beneath the subway floor". Over seven minutes in length, its another epic surprise to close an album of epic surprises. It's a sky-sized rock ballad that U2 would kill for, but wouldn't do it this kind of justice. By far, one of Foo Fighters' finest moments.
Verdict:
While it may be just eight tracks long, this body of work is certainly the most ambitious of their career. For a band that could have just threw some rockers on a record to shift millions of units and headline some festivals, Sonic Highways is quite literally an adventure - not only for the journey that went into making it, but the very vivid tour of America that you're taken on in listening to it.
Sonic Highways is released on 10 November.
