By: Samantha D'alessandro
On February 5th, 2021, The Foo Fighters released their tenth studio album titled Medicine At Midnight. Prior to the drop, the band announced that this would be different and not at all what you would expect from them. Boy, were they right.
I’ve never been a huge Foo Fighters fan which comes as a shock to a lot of people I’ve met considering they are such a popular group, which is exactly why I was so compelled to write this review! To put it bluntly, the album changed my entire opinion of The Foo Fighters music.
With almost every album, there’s gonna be a few songs that get skipped, and a few that you play over and over until you get sick of them. For this review, I’m gonna talk about those addicting, “play on repeat” tunes.
The first song I heard off of the album was Shame, Shame. I was immediately drawn to the interesting beat and strumming, by the time I got the chorus it was impossible not to sing along to the simple “shame” lyric. I also appreciated Dave Grohl’s softer vocals that aren’t showcased as much in typical Foo Fighter’s music. Towards the end of the song I picked up on the subtle but hypnotizing string instruments in the background, and I fell in love with it!
With the chaos going on in the world this past year, I can’t help but feel like Waiting On A War is a perfect reflection of that. The soft strings and melody make it an easy and soothing listen, yet as the song goes on it starts to build, it allows the listener to let out all of the frustration and pent up emotions that we’ve shared over the past year.
These next two tracks I'm covering are total opposites in my mind but totally deserve the recognition, the first being No Son Of Mine. This track takes on a more familiar Foo Fighters style and is one of the heaviest tracks on the album. It’s impossible not to get amped up to the amazing guitar riffs and the passionate vocals from Grohl. On the other hand, we have the album's title track, Medicine at Midnight. This track blew my mind. It is super groovy, to say the least, and there are parts of it that seem to be heavily influenced by David Bowie. Groovy Foo Fighter is not something I realized I needed in my life and I am so happy that it exists on this album!
I’ve saved my favourite song for last and that would definitely have to be Making A Fire. This track is beyond catchy and fun to listen to. It has groovy 70’s rock vibes to it as well as a kick-ass sing-a-long part that is impossible not to jam to. This song makes me feel so happy and instantly puts me in a great mood.
Before I wrap up this review I would also like to touch on the wicked visualizers that the Foo Fighter has released on their youtube channel. With vibrant colours reflecting the album cover and trippy animations which differ for each song, it’s so pleasing to watch as you listen to all these incredible tunes. Overall, I strongly recommend listening to this album whether you’re a Foo Fighters fan or not.
In conclusion, Medicine At Midnight has converted me into a Foo Fighters fan for sure.