ALBUM REVIEW: Foo Fighters play it safe in ‘Medicine at Midnight’

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The Foo Fighters perform at the O2 Arena in London, United Kingdom on Sept. 19, 2017. The band’s 10th studio album, “Medicine at Midnight,” was released Feb. 5 following a pandemic-related delay. (Photo courtesy of Ralph PH | Flickr)
By Stephanie Arenas

Foo Fighters have made yet another comeback with their new album “Medicine at Midnight.”

The album was set to release in 2020. However, due to the events of COVID-19, the release date was pushed back.

Singer Dave Grohl had finally had enough and decided to release the album as his fans may need it now more than ever.

When the first single “Shame Shame” was released back in November, many of their fans were left disappointed with the song.

“Shame Shame” felt as though it was cut short. A song that could have the potential to do more but never seemed to come around.

Luckily, the album as a whole is nothing like what “Shame Shame” brought to the table. While the single alone is slow, repetitive and absolutely boring, the rest of the album is quite the opposite.

The album begins with the groovy, yet thrashing sound that is “Making a Fire,” inspired by the likes of David Bowie.

“We felt like that was the perfect place to start,” Grohl said in an interview with BBC Radio. “The groove in that song, it’s almost like a DJ sort of breakbeat. We had touched on something we hadn’t necessarily done before.”

Later down the tracklist, “Waiting on a War” was the third single released by the band, which was inspired by a nightmare Grohl had when he was younger.

While the song itself is sentimental and meaningful, the lyrics are nothing special and quite repetitive.

It seems as though half the song is simply Grohl repeating the line “is there more than this than that” over and over again.

The real highlight of the album is definitely the band’s second single “No Son of Mine.”

With its loud guitars, clashing drums and catchy lyrics, the song provides a strong perspective of how much energy the band still has left.

Listening to this song personally reminded me of the likes of “Ace of Spades” by Motörhead, another energizing and groovy hit.

While the album in its whole is an easy and fun listen, it is still quite a predictable piece. It sounds like any other normal Foo Fighters record. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but feels as though the potential for something new was wasted.

Overall, “Medicine at Midnight” seems to be on the average side with its typical loud rock music and generic lyrics. It is a catchy listen, but not a memorable one.

Foo Fighters had the opportunity to further expand their horizons, but decided to play it safe on this record in order to keep their fans happy.

The band has since been nominated for the 2021 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, alongside the likes of Jay-Z, Tina Turner and Iron Maiden.

The award is well-deserved by a band that has been around for nearly three decades. The Foo Fighters have proven once again that there is more left to come from them.

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