The JAR is still stuck in the 90s cupboard, but this one has stayed relevant! Foo Fighters have remained steady and radio friendly for about 25 years. Let’s see what their newest album Medicine at Midnight has to offer!

Most of us know the backstory for the band, the drummer from Nirvana decided to start his own project after Kurt Cobain’s suicide, and now he sings and plays guitar! Not only is Dave Grohl an integral part in two very popular bands, he also is a proven triple threat (at least). Little jealous? Maybe a little.

Anyway, Foo Fighters have been experimenting a little here and there with their sound, but never really deviating much from the Pop directed Alt Rock that they got famous for. This album is supposed to be more of an old 70s/80s arena rock style of album. I think Grohl said something about comparing it to David Bowie’s Let’s Dance.

Time to check out the newest offering from the guys who fight Foos.

• Artist: Foo Fighters
• Album: Medicine at Midnight (2021)
• Label: RCA – Roswell

Making a Fire starts things off and captures that Bowie-esque vibe they were looking for. Echoed out vocals, big sweeping chorus with a choir and guitar driven verses that really push this into a 70s sound. Very solid song that just picks the energy up immediately and makes the album feel fun from the start. Shame Shame this has an interesting syncopation to how the drums rhythm hits around the lyrics. It definitely captures that David Bowie vibe they discussed and set the tone for in the first song. It’s got a really simple and haunting background vocal, most likely from Taylor Hawkins, just saying “Shame” through the verses which is really cool. They use the word “Shame” as a bridge between verses and it does a good job at never really making any part of the song feel lacking. Just really simple and keeps the groove moving.

Now we come to what is probably my favorite song on the album, Cloudspotter. Which I read that apparently Grohl wrote the guitar riff 25 years ago and just never found a place for it until now. The beginning starts off a little quiet and groovy, but then it explodes into a sound that reminds me of Aerosmith Kings and Queens era. I really dig the way the instrumentals and the lyrics swing during the “Swing Swing, Guillotine Queen” chorus. The song also just feels like it’s picking up momentum, so the swing concept is artistically applied. Where it starts quiet, the first chorus picks up, but then it calms down, after the second chorus the song end very strong. Great use of imagery, tone and instrumentation to get a concept across.

So from my favorite to the song I want to skip, Waiting on a War. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the song, it’s an acoustic guitar ballad that sounds more like Savage Garden then anything I’d prefer to listen to. Lyrically it works well together exploring the idea of longing and the meaning of things, but the song in general just comes off as a very bland and simple radio single with not a lot of heart. It’s no Everlong and that’s for damn sure. It tries to pick up at the end with blaring electric guitars and quick drum fills, but by the time they get here I’m already asleep.

Ahh back to the Bowie we go! Medicine at Midnight, is actually a nice disco inspired bassline, and it really drives well going back to using the choir of singers to accent the chorus with haunting “Oos” and a few lyrical fills during a soulful guitar solo that feels B.B. King inspired, not on the same level, but I get what they were going for. Did a great job mixing some soulful blues, a little disco/funk and the power pop aspect of arena rock. No Son of Mine, doesn’t really conform to the established idea. Now it’s definitely a hard rocking song that would probably do well in a concert setting, it just sounds more like a 90s rock song than most of these. Not a bad thing, just makes it stand out a little in the sea of Bowie/70s rock they were going for. This could be a veiled commentary on the pandemic era whilst using biblical references and Christian imagery. It’s not bad, it’s just lacking in many departments.

Well now, Holding Poison, stays in the 90s, but it’s really cool and seems to work with the quirky/groovy aspect of this album. I like the uses of the wooden block from Hawkins, and maybe this is just the 90s kid in me, but the sound seems to work really well. The lyrics are a little nonsensical but again, it’s a fun little song that is easy to dance and swing to, so it fits the album. Chasing Birds, well now they really do a good job lightening the instrumentation and making the whole song sound dreamy/up in the clouds. With a sound that definitely can be compared to The Beatles or Paul McCartney this is an easy to relate to song about searching for a relationship and it being as futile as chasing birds. Sad, but beautiful.

Love Dies Young, is an interesting amalgamation of sounds. It gives you everything from an interesting time signature, a little disco beat like an Abba song and just a lot of good stuff. It uses the onslaught of sound to go through the throes of love. The lyrics discuss love dying young, but the bite back is that he doesn’t want it to. So it’s this powerful dynamic rock anthem about wanting love to last forever. It’s charming, powerful and really cool. Great way to end the record.

With all that said, the album only clocks in at a little over 36 minutes. So it’s short, sweet and to the point. Granted I definitely think a few of the songs don’t really fit the mold of the album, but it’s still a fairly enjoyable listen. Some of the songs are a little TOO simple and seem like they could’ve used a little more polishing.

All in all, the Foo Fighters deliver an album that most fans of theirs should enjoy. It explores a few directions that might lose some people, but nothing sounds like a complete derivation from their established sound. Therefore it’s a pretty good album, not great, but definitely pretty fun and will see decent radio play.

Final Judgment: 7.15/10