Not so long ago I lost someone important to me each year. Suicide, overdose, old age, freak medical happenstance – the hits kept coming. Each death impacted me differently, but I sought solace in music each time it happened. Think 3rd by Big Star. Closer by Joy Division. Script of the Bridge by The Chameleons. Albums that spoke to my emotional core and were deeply resonate. I can now add But Here We Are by Foo Fighters to this mix. The album was written and recorded in the wake of the 1-2 losses of drummer Taylor Hawkins and Virginia Grohl, Dave Grohl’s mother. Dave Grohl had formed Foo Fighters after Kurt Cobain’s suicide and Nirvana’s end. I thought Foo Fighters would possibly come to an end – the losses almost seemed to much to overcome. Fortunately, I was wrong. I wouldn’t say I’ve been the biggest Foo Fighters fan over the years – I prefer a more abrasive feel to the music as opposed to some of the more classic rock flourishes the band gravitated to as the years went by – but I was interested in what the new album would sound like. I wasn’t expecting it to be my favorite Foo Fighters album of all time, on par with anything Dave Grohl has been involved with in the past.
The two singles that were our introduction to the album open the record. Rescued is a mid-tempo rocker that hints at tragedy “It happened so fast / and then it was over” but doesn’t dwell on those sentiments. This song is an ode to the power of healing through music. It has a communal warmth that makes for a great opener. The first time I heard Under You it hit me hard. Somehow the lyrics seemed to describe everything I felt when I lost a good friend through suicide in the summer of 2018. Musically, it is another mid-tempo rocker. It is an extremely catchy song that does the neat trick of having the listener singing along to heavy lyrics. “Someone said I’ll never see your face again / Part of me just can’t believe it’s true” and “Over it / Think I’m getting over it / But, there’s no getting over it” get to me every time. Hearing Voices is a melancholy catharsis. It is an impactful song and an indication that this is a Foo Fighters album like no other. “I’ve been hearing voices / none of them are you”. The title track dials back the emotions just a bit and is a slightly raw garage rock celebration. The Glass – on most days – is my favorite song on the album. Dave Grohl’s voice cracks as he sings “I had a vision of you, and just like that / I was left to live without it, left to live without it.” I like to sing this one at the top of my lungs while it is playing in my hearing aids. Apologies to everyone in the restaurant. It deftly segues between a singer / songwriter plea and a 90’s alternative rock song. Devastating. At the 2:51 mark there is a Weezer sounding guitar refrain, perhaps a nod to their days touring with each other over the years. Nothing At All is probably the most punk / grunge sounding song from the band since their 1995 debut album. Absolutely love it. Show Me How features Grohl’s daughter Violet on backing vocals. Another slab of wistful sadness, it goes for the heart strings and succeeds wildly. The guitar tones are encumbered with emotion, and that’s before we get to the vocals / lyrics. “Where are you now? /Who will show me how?” Beyond Me feels like a lost song by The Beatles. It is a brief respite from heavy emotions but no less impactful. The Teacher is a progressive hard rock masterpiece. The longest song recorded by Foo Fighters at just shy of 10 minutes, it moves through different sections of Grohl’s relationship with his mother. The song never outstays its welcome. My favorite section features these lyrics: “You showed me how to need, never showed me how to say goodbye / You showed me how to grieve, never showed me how to say goodbye / Every page turns, it’s a lesson learned in time / You showed me how to need, never showed me how to say goodbye.” Rest is one of the sweetest, saddest songs I’ve ever heard. The first time I played it for someone I care about they asked me to turn it off – it was bringing tears to their eyes. The song starts off quite literally in a coffin – it could be Groh’s Mom or Taylor Hawkins (I read these lyrics as Taylor Hawkins). “Waking up, bottom of an empty cup / Laying in your favorite clothes chosen just for you / Make you laugh, maybe I could make you laugh / Books of faded photographs, moments saved for you / Angel dust, tiny little paper cuts / Close my eyes and feel your touch, holding on to you.” The chorus acknowledges the finality of death, “Rest, you can rest now / Rest, you will be safe now”, before admitting it is a crapshoot who gets to die and who gets to live “Love and trust, life is just a game of luck / All this time escaping us, until our time is through.” The song repeats the chorus among melodic guitar refrains and a crescendo of instrumentation before everything fades away with Dave Grohl whispering, “Waking up, had another dream of us / In the warm Virginia sun, there I will meet you.” The silence lingers long after the album has stopped playing.
I was not expecting Foo Fighters to deliver what I consider their magnum opus almost 30 years into their career – indeed, this album wasn’t even on my radar. That’s the beauty of music – sometimes an album will leave you breathless. I’ve listened to this album countless times since it was released and will return to it repeatedly in the future. Haunting, depressing, celebratory – it is masterful.
Verdict: Masterpiece
For Fans of: Big Star, Nirvana, Frightened Rabbit, Gravenhurst, Eels
Tracks:
- Rescued
- Under You
- Hearing Voices
- But Here We Are
- The Glass
- Nothing At All
- Show Me How
- Beyond Me
- The Teacher
- Rest