Music Monday: Foo Fighters “Medicine At Midnight”
“Medicine At Midnight” – The 10th studio album by Foo Fighters
The Dave Grohl created band – Foo Fighters – had to postpone their live tour celebration of being a band for 25 years. They also postponed this 10th studio album thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. But as 2020 progressed and no end of pandemic relief in sight, they decided to release the album on Feb 5, 2021. An SNL performance in November and with “Shame Shame” becoming a different sounding ear worm of a song, this new album is a Foo Fighters album all the way. And being one of my favorite rock bands in the last 25 years, essentially formed in the ashes of Nirvana, I have become a fan of this new album, with about 12 start to finish listens of it completed in the 3 days since it was released.
Track Listing
- “Making a Fire”
- “Shame Shame”
- “Cloudspotter”
- “Waiting on a War”
- “Medicine at Midnight”
- “No Son of Mine”
- “Holding Poison”
- “Chasing Birds”
- “Love Dies Young”
Different But Addictive and Catchy
With “Shame Shame” “No Son of Mine” and “Waiting on a War” released as singles, those songs proved to be great starts to a great album. Nine songs and 36 mins in length, it’s a short album of various forms of homage to David Bowie and Queen and a pop-like sound injected into the music and lyrics. So far, I really don’t have a true standout, but if forced to pick one, the song “Cloudspotter” would edge out the other 8 songs on the album being the most Foo Fighter sounding when comparing to songs from previous albums. The title track is the most Bowie sounding, heavily reminding me of the “Let’s Dance” era of songs. “No Son of Mine” is a strong Foos track with a mix of pop thrown in for good measure. “Love Dies Young” starts out with almost the exact riff of “Keep Yourself Alive” by Queen. And the chorus of “Na Na Na Na Na” female backing singers mixed throughout the song “Making A Fire” makes for a great album opener. Taylor Hawkins admits it was odd to use drum loops on various parts of songs like “Shame Shame” but in the few live performances the band has done recently, he has proven he knows how to replicate those.
I know a fair number of people that have admitted newer albums like 2017’s “Concrete and Gold” have sounds that divert from the traditional Foo Fighters sound, but give this new album a few listens and you might find your embrace of it is easier than expected.
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I actually really like this sound and the album as a whole. I had low expectations given that their most
recent few albums have not really stuck with me if I was a fan at all. So this was nice. I, too, have heard people complain about the change of sound or a downturn in lyrical quality, but I still dig it.
Awesome!! Yeah, the sound really is great and for one of the bands shortest albums, it’s pretty strong, IMO.
I must admit, even though I like them, I’ve not kept up with their most recent albums. Perhaps a shame? Adding them and *this* album to my listen to this week list.
I see what you did there (“Shame Shame” the song on the new album). I’d be curious what you think of the new album.