You Had Me At Foo Fighters . . .

It must be tough to be Dave Grohl. Can you imagine growing up in a band like Nirvana, only to have the roller coaster fly off the tracks right at the top when it’s still all clicking noises and anticipation? While Foo Fighters have had modest success, to the outsider looking in they appear to still be a band seeking an identity.

Proof of this was their indulgent 2005 double disc In Your Honor, which featured, according to iTunes, one side of “bone-crunching rock” and another of “succulent acoustic.” Strange bedfellows wouldn’t you say? Personally I don’t mix my bourbon with Sierra Mist.

The Foo Fighters new one Echoes Silence Patience & Grace remains schizophrenic in that some songs sound like The Beatles namely “Statues” while others sound like Jack Johnson including the pretty but weepy acoustic instrumental “Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners.” But the best stuff on the album sounds like (gasp) the Foo Fighters. That’s the issue I have with the Foo Fighters. I don’t understand the identity crisis when I can truly say there is such a thing as “vintage Foo Fighters.” And while the band may not reach the heights of single “Everlong,” they do have several great songs on the disc including “Erase / Replace,” “Long Road to Ruin,” “Cheer Up Boys (Your Makeup Is Running),” and “But Honestly.”

It’s interesting to remember that Dave Grohl was the drummer in Nirvana. This may be the ultimate compliment to current Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins, who is the chassis of the band. The peak of the new album is the killer track “Erase / Replace.” It’s the sort of song you would turn on just as the skaters hit the ice for their pre-game warm-ups. It’s vintage Foo Fighters with the circular guitar alongside pulsing drums that carries us home. Taylor Hawkins is like an animal on this one taking us round and round specifically when Grohl breaks out his “Oh no don’t talk about it, No please don’t talk about it” pleas throughout the vocal. Be sure to check out “Erase / Replace” if your workout has hit a rut because from the first line “Attention. Pay Attention” it will have you doing just that. And it could be even better as a single if they give it a bit of a staccato remix to lean on Hawkins and keep up the pace a bit.

While I commend the Foo Fighters for continuing to explore new sounds and define their turf, there’s a part of me that really wants to see them just put together a rock solid Foo Fighters album. If it sounds anything like “Erase / Replace,” I think it would be a welcome relief in a world where Hannah Montana is the hottest concert of the year.

The intro to the first single “The Pretender” borrows from “Stairway to Heaven,” but overall sounds like a single and is nothing much new. “Let it Die” has glimpses of greatness but can’t overcome lyrical apathy second to only, maybe “Tequila.” Grohl seems to have some limitations in that he’ll often resort to screaming or just saying the same few words over and over and over again. The result can sound like a rock & roll brain freeze. See “Let it Die” and “But Honestly” for proof.

“Long Road to Ruin” has a little country flare mixed in and should be welcomed by the Southern rock set or at least by people who like Kid Rock more now that he’s trying to be Hank Williams. I specifically like the mid-song acoustic breakdown (the 2:15 minute mark); it’s all very Nickelback. Yes, that’s a compliment. I think. Hold up your lighters gents.

“But, Honestly” should be noted because it’s proof that bone crunching and acoustic can fit together in a right sized cocktail glass. It works here because the song builds throughout and Hawkins plays a prominent role. “Cheer Up Boys (Your Makeup Is Running)” has a fantastic guitar intro and should receive bonus points because I assume it’s a shot at the emo set.

All in all I’m a fan of the Foo Fighters. I just wish they would embrace being the Foo Fighters. Otherwise they’ll just be a recycling bin band (Audioslave, Velvet Revolver) with something missing. On Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace the band spends too much time playing ‘70s style AM radio soft rock. There’s too much WKRP, sad piano, too much emphasis on showing their range. It’s as if they’re saying, look we can make music like this and that. When all I want to hear is the Foo Fighters. Luckily, the boys did save a little time to put together at least 4 or 5 vintage Foo Fighters tracks. And by my math that’s worth the price of the album.