Review by Phil Rozier for MPM
Can anyone else ‘see’ the Foo Fighters music? Before you think my Sunday morning has been influenced by the night before, hear me out.
When I think of the Foo Fighters, I think of a mix of heavy screaming and strobe lights, then balanced out with the less distorted jangle of Dave’s signature Gibson. The music sways, as does Grohl’s hips, with an almost teenage disco feel as the crowd steps side to side. With Pat in the background permanently grinning, Nate giving it large and the drums being equally as smashed by who ever plays them from behind a mop of sweaty hair.
That is the Foo Fighters, right? It isn’t ‘who’ they are, it’s ‘what’ they are. A stadium accomplished band, where the screams attract the denim and leather of heavier cohort of rockers, and the swaying has the potential to even attract my mum. Now turning 80, my mum isn’t likely to go to Anfield Stadium anytime soon, but, another 150,000 people are later in in the UK summer.
Having seen the Foo’s get a relatively (and possibly unfair) hostile reception from The Big Day Out in Milton Keynes back in the late 90’s, they’ve always stuck to being the Foo’s. Who’s laughing now, eh? That 30 years later they’re bashing out another sub 40 mins of punk inspired rock n roll before hitting the world’s stadium circuit, yet again.
So ‘Caught In The Echo’ opens the album. And there it is, right on que. Screaming, followed by jangly guitars, and the type of music you can sway your hips to and step side to side. A great opener, with a sweet balance of aggression and submission. A mix of denim and possibly Marks and Spencer. At around 4 mins, it’s considered a reasonably long song by the album’s standards.
We’re straight into ‘Of All People’ for track 2, at around I think two and half minutes. Upbeat, a steady loud thump of the tubs, punctuated with those mid riff stops on the guitars. Pretty punk. Pretty good.
‘Window’ follows, and it has early vibes of ‘For All the Cows’ from their debut record. It kind of doesn’t really, but kind of does. And what I mean is, your brain is often uncontrollably transported to a place when the music enters your ears. And track 3 has again returned the Foos to their softer side. Less aggressive, less strobe lighting, and more comfortable softly fading purple to orange ambience as the spotlight sparkles off the drum riser chrome.
The albums title track, ‘Your Favourite Toy’, is probably one of my new favourites. No pun intended. It’s got the swagger and sway, but it’s also accompanied by a banging steady drum structure, akin to classic punk. Grohl’s vocals are strong and demand attention, and then they’re perhaps unexpectedly supported by some childlike chorus nah nah nah’s. I don’t think you can have enough nah nah nah’s in tracks, so bring it on. For a full on more detailed review, check out Metal Planet Music’s previous track run play through.
I’m probably already halfway through the album or there abouts, and ‘If Only You Knew’ is another Foo Fighters signature track. ‘same old storey, don’t be sorry’ sings Dave. I’m guessing not related to the track, but it can easily be applied. This track isn’t anything alternative, or experimental. It’s just classic F’Fighters creating what they do. And it works.
‘ooh, ooh, ooh ooh ooh…’ Go on, listen to ‘Spit Shine’ and try not to be singing along before the end. A song of 2 halves, you might think I’m going nuts. Go on, try it. The initial 50% of the song is straight up punk noise, and the surprising sing along isn’t perhaps as forecasted as I make it out to be. Bear with it.
Right, where are we, time for a slurp of another coffee (although it’s actually tea, because I’ve run out of coffee). We must be nearing the latter part of the record I assume. Track 7, ‘Unconditional’. I’d say this has taken a slightly darker, more emotional, and slower vibe. It’s still a steady rocker of a track, but the influence is defo one of a more sombre feel… ‘there are better days, awaiting, it’s true’.
The perhaps slightly darker feel is carried into ‘Child Actor’ and the repeating lyrics ‘turn the camera’s off’. I don’t usually try to guess where the influence, or the truth came from, but, the track is clearly written with experience, truth and a degree of angst or anger. It’s a fitting, slower, drift towards the back end of the album. With 2 tracks to go, ‘Amen, Caveman’, and the already released single ‘Asking for a Friend’, it’s time to wrap it up and conclude.
If you like rock music, you’ll always prefer all rock music to Justin Beiber. After 12 Foo Fighters albums, you’ll know which are your favourites and which are filed under ‘solid rock music that’s better than modern chart-based pop music’. ‘Your Favourite Toy’ is an accomplished mixed of what looks like Foo Fighters tracks. The strobes, the jangle, the swaying, the anger, the softer more emotionally connected edge. It’s all there, it’s consistently present throughout all their work.
Often sounding heavier when played live, I think fans of the Foos will undoubtedly connect with this collection of new tracks. ‘Asking For a Friend’ has got stadium classic written all over it. A belter of a way to close their latest release.
Listen now: https://FooFighters.lnk.to/yourfavoritetoy/spotify
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