The Foo Fighters are back, and in awesome shitkicking mode. And guess what, early lead guitarist Pat Smear rejoins them for the ride, also Nevermind producer Butch Vig. Most rock records are so over-produced nowadays; well not this one. The band cut the entire thing the old-fashioned way, to analog tape in Dave Grohl's garage. The sound quality is superb; you can go ahead and turn it up, it's surprisingly not harsh on the ears. Wasting Light is their heaviest record yet; the songs are like instant adrenaline shots. I'm totally digging White Limo (it kicks serious fucking ass), which has Dave screaming through all the verses. Also great is Dear Rosemary, in which Husker Du's Bob Mould helps out with the singing. These Days, a bit more ballad-like, still rocks hard, and has a familiar 'Times Like These kinda vibe'. And in I Should Have Known (featuring Krist Novoselic on bass), the singer gives one of most passionate vocal performances ever. Or so I thought, until I heard the closer, Walk; it ends on a hopeful note. IMO, Wasting Light is the Foos' best since 1999's There Is Nothing Left To Lose. Just splendid from start to finish. They're still very much an 'album band', in fact they've always been one.P.S. Also check out this REALLY AMAZING interview with Dave and Taylor Hawkins on the Howard Stern show. Click here to listen...
UPDATE: The band plays the entire album from start to finish, and it's goddamn magnificent.
