Album Review: "Concrete and Gold", by The Foo Fighters

If there is one thing The Foo Fighters have been known for over the past couple of decades, it's being rather consistent in their timely release of quality material. This go round with their latest release Concrete and Gold is no exception. In fact, I would even venture to say that it is a bit above and beyond some of what they have put out recently.

Released September 15th on RCA Records, Concrete and Gold was recorded from December of last year till earlier this year in May over at EastWest Studios in Hollywood, CA. It was produced by Greg Kurstin, who has worked with the likes of Adele, Beck, The Bird and the Bee, Dido, Kelly Clarkson, Pink, Sia, as well as Tegan and Sara. Normally I wouldn't trust someone who produces primarily pop artists to do a hard rock album, but I was pleasantly surprised with his work here.

Concrete and Gold is as described by the band to be "where hard rock extremes meet pop sensibilities". To give a more clear picture to those who have not yet listened, band front man Dave Grohl described the album being "Sergent Pepper if made by Motorhead". I can definitely hear the Beatles influence right from the get-go, but it also doesn't take long for the heavier punk and metal side of the band to take over. It's a fascinating interplay of styles that weaves the songs together in such an intriguing way. At one moment you have sweet, melodic pop sounds flowing through your speakers comforting you, but then at a snap you're being thrashed around by harsh vocals backed by instrumentation with a serious punch to it.

The lyrics all have one unifying motif that binds the entire album together, which is concern for the future of the United States given the current political climate. Grohl says that when it all ties together the main theme is "hope and desperation". Everything takes place from his point of view of Grohl "politically, personally, as a father, an American, and a musician". That said, though there are some serious political tones to the songs, the lyrics themselves are not overly political. It's more like they allude to what's going on without actually saying it. Grohl definitely knew when to strike with a hot iron and when to pull back.

One of the things that makes Concrete and Gold so special is that there were a number of famous guest performers lending their talents, including: Sir Paul McCartney, Justin Timberlake, Shawn Stockman, Inara George, Allison Mosshart, Dave Koz, Taylor Greenwood, Greg Sierpowski, Kinga Bacik, Thomas Lea, Ginny Luke, Jessy Greene, and Greg Kurstin. Quite a mouthful, huh? Grohl definitely has no shortage of friends in high places. Personally I'm surprised he didn't get John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, or Brian May in on it considering the long list he had already.

Honestly, I don't have much in the way of any gripes with Concrete and Gold. Those who don't like music with any political themes or are fans of our country's all wise and knowing God Emperor will probably not care for it, but most anyone else will find something on the album they like. The only minor nitpicks I might personally make are the heavier parts of the album do sound a bit derivative of what The Foo Fighters have done before and some parts are just a bit too overproduced. That said, those are still minor nitpicks. The album is still REALLY good.

What I enjoy about Concrete and Gold is that you can tell the band really wanted to do something different. Every song is different from the last and it keeps you on your toes. It's exciting. You never know what is going to happen next. Personally those kinds of albums are the ones I like best. I like being thrilled and left anticipating from track to track. I also like that not every song sounds like generic radio friendly rock. I guess what I'm trying to say is Concrete and Gold will most certainly take you on an adventure. It's worth your time and money.

Concrete and Gold, by The Foo Fighters receives 3.8 stars.

Track List:

1. T-Shirt
2. Run
3. Make It Right
4. The Sky is a Neighborhood
5. La Dee Da
6. Dirty Water
7. Arrows
8. Happy Ever After (Zero Hour)
9. Sunday Rain
10. The Line
11. Concrete and Gold

Buy the album on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Concrete-Gold-Foo-Fighters/dp/B071GZJT1R/ref=ice_ac_b_dpb?ie=UTF8&qid=1509409196&sr=8-1&keywords=Concrete+and+Gold