Photo: Brantley Gutierrez
Great news Foos fans: they have just unveiled 'The Sky Is A Neighbourhood', the second track from their forthcoming new album, along with a video. Watch it on Gigwise below.
It starts out quite minimal. Grohl's vocal is accompanied by a blues-y jangly guitar, and the track in essence can't help but echo the greatness of cathartic rock and blues stars who play the American underbelly but never reach the mainstream.
A sudden jolt into the middle-8 and a broad cinematic treble melody combines with the dense, distorted guitars and a Queen-esque wall-of-sound vocal reminds us that Foo Fighters are one of the biggest bands on the planet.
When the chorus hits, it's a massive release of energy with Grohl's naturally gritty vocal able to give that sense of urgency and release we all crave from a great rock song. If anything, his vocals seem to be getting stronger with every passing album, even if the one-off magic of a song like 'Everlong' isn't quite reached.
This loud/quiet dynamic continues between verse and chorus and sporadic oddball guitar parts that imitate the orchestral string sounds that help from keeping this obviously mainstream rock 'n' roll hit from feeling too conventional.
Then the closest thing to a guitar solo isn't allowed convention as it sounds more like Metallica S&M album thanks to the orchestra - it's easy to see why Grohl says in the PR that "It's the biggest thing sonically we've ever done".
It also reminds us of Grohl and co's broad music taste and encyclopaedic knowledge of popular music and also producer Greg Kurstin’s sense of jazz and melody and arrangement, something that we’d never done before.”
Lyrically, we see nods to the mystery of space and the dreadful political situation we're in with Trump in power. It is conveyed in lines that talk about hope being gone, and metaphors of battlefield and bombs - a strong reminder that our world is in a situation far from peaceful.
The video was created by director Grohl, Foo Fighters, and family. The press release summarises it brilliantly: “The Sky Is A Neighborhood” is a kaleidoscopic sci-fi mini-epic as massive as the slow burning rock anthem that gave it life. Hypnotic swirls of colour of extraterrestrial origin, glowing eyes, levitating children and more combine to create an otherworldly cinematic palette equal parts beautiful and creepy—the result being arguably the most striking video in the Foo Fighters’ multiple award-winning canon."
In addition to the track and video, Foo Fighters have launched an app that allows you to see the star map all while tiny Foo Fighters soundtrack your explorations at the bottom of the screen. Get it here.
Foo Fighters play The 02 in London on 19 September.
