Foo Fighters address grief and loss in sharply rocking But Here We Are — review

Foo Fighters came into being because of a death. Dave Grohl’s multi-platinum rock band emerged from the ashes of another multi-platinum act, Nirvana, after Kurt Cobain’s suicide in 1994. The first Foo Fighters album followed a year later, a fast-paced affair that didn’t dwell on the terrible events preceding it. “As leader of the Foo Fighters, he seems to be having a lot of fun,” noted a review of a Chicago show by Grohl’s new outfit.

Positivity is one of his key attributes. When Grohl joined Nirvana as drummer in 1990, he brought force and clarity to their sullenly heavy sound. Switching to vocals, guitar and songwriting duties in Foo Fighters, he has shown himself to be Cobain’s opposite. His songs have invariably been on the side of life, and a fairly uncomplicated life at that. The values of decency and honesty that run through his work have led to him being dubbed “the nicest guy in rock”. The accolade tells us as much about the decline of rock as a disruptive force as it does Grohl’s personable character.

But Here We Are is the band’s 11th studio album. Almost 30 years on, death once more casts a dark cloud over their horizon. Two deaths, to be precise. One is that of Taylor Hawkins, who joined Foo Fighters as drummer in 1997. He suddenly died in 2022, prompting an outpouring of grief from fans and fellow musicians. The other is Grohl’s mother, Virginia Grohl, who also died last year. A single parent, she encouraged her son to quit high school and pursue his love of music despite being a teacher herself.

Unlike their 1995 debut, this time Grohl and his bandmates don’t avoid topics of grief and loss. The songs’ sentiments tend towards vagueness, with much expansive questioning (“Where are you now?”) and a certain amount of flannel (“I’ll get by, or maybe I won’t”). But the music, barring the odd plodder, is sharper than the dull fare of recent Foo Fighters releases.

“Rescued” is a seize-the-moment anthem with yowled vocals and lightning-strike guitar riffs. “Under You” is a nostalgic 1990s alt-rock retread. A 10-minute tribute to Grohl’s mother, “The Teacher”, alternates between sprinting and pauses for thought. With Hawkins’ absence, the Foos’ leader is back behind the drum kit. He drives the music onwards with controlled ferocity, as with the title track’s pinpoint fusillade of beats, an animated display amid the mournful subject matter.

★★★☆☆

‘But Here We Are’ is released by Roswell Records/Columbia