The very existence of the Foo Fighters as a band comes from a place of grief. It seems unfathomable that they are once again facing the horrors of loss. But Here We Are is an album that’s hard to imagine them wanting to make, but it was vital that they did.
This 11th studio album sees the band come to terms with not only the collective loss of Taylor Hawkins, but also the loss of Dave Grohl’s Mother Virginia. The raw emotion that runs through this album is palpable & visceral, but it is punctuated by a hopeful undercurrent.
Rescued is a stadium sized anthem that immediately rips the emotional band aid, opening the floodgates for what is to follow. Under You is a tender rocker that laments on the nature of loss and the strength it takes to come out from under it.
Hearing Voices is so haunting and beautiful, building to a stark and vulnerable ending as the band drops out and it’s down to Dave, an acoustic guitar and piano. Its chill inducing stuff that will bring a tear to the eye.
The title track & Nothing At All are both up tempo stompers featuring some throat ripping vocal work and melodies that will live inside your head so long you’ll consider charging them rent.
The second half of the album features some of its most fragile and poignant moments. From the lush dream pop-esque Show Me How featuring Violet Grohl on guest vocals. The lush harmonies that cut through Beyond Me are sure to get lighters in the air when played live. The 10 minute opus The Teacher provides the album with one last adrenaline shot before the last song tears your heart to pieces.
Rest, the album’s closing track is a sparse ballad that builds to a cacophony of sadness and electric hums as over a simple drum beat and Grohl’s fraught vocals. It’s a hell of a way to end an emotional rollercoaster of an album.
But Here We Are is an overwhelming odyssey of differing feelings. It feels utterly devasting at times, while also being incredibly uplifting and hopeful at others. The album takes multiple pendulum swings between the heavy & the heartfelt and lands somewhere in the middle. This is a lovingly crafted album that is not only befitting of the Foo Fighters legacy, but also a beautiful tribute to those loved ones they have lost.
But Here We Are is available now with physical copies available via the band’s online store.
