Foo Fighters- Medicine at Midnight
Label: RCA
Producers: Foo Fighters and Greg Kurstin
The tenth studio album from rock icons Foo Fighters is without question the first marquee release from any genre in 2021, and its medicinal titling proves to be entirely apt as well: this is precisely the type of energetic, pure rock record that music lovers need to shake off the appropriately downbeat, albeit rewarding tone, of the forever infamous 2020. Boasting nine total tracks and clocking in at an economic thirty-seven minutes, Medicine at Midnight gets right down to business and finds the band wandering off their typical path of post-grunge intensity, instead indulging in the celebratory and anthemic glory days of classic rock.
That’s not to say that Dave Grohl abandon the long-standing trademarks of their work; the performances here are every bit as convicted as any other record in their canon, and the lyricism still passionate and on-point. However, there’s a liberating mood of fun, optimism and release flowing through the record that is as entertaining and accessible as anything they’ve ever done.
A prime example of this aforementioned atmosphere would be the exhilarating, sing-along nature of album opener, “Making a Fire”, which plays like the Foos’ own updated brand of soulful Heartland rock. This unshakeable spirit proves to be a pillar of the album and carries through groovy grunge concoctions like “Cloudspotter”, “Holding Poison”, and the bittersweet, dichotomous closing track “Love Dies Young”, which masterfully paints love’s most painful qualities in the lyrics, while wrapping it in a surging arrangement that successful conjures up why we bother with it in the first place. All of these tracks are concert showstoppers waiting in the wings for when live shows can finally return.
Meanwhile, the mysterious seduction of the title track likewise offers one of the band’s most unique and satisfying sonic choices of their staggering career, with Grohl’s dynamic range as both a vocalist and guitarist on splendid display. Even more impressive is the stunning beauty and hushed psychedelic reflection of the poetic “Chasing Birds”; it’s as gorgeously moving as anything they’ve ever committed to record. Foo purists put on edge by the varied sound found throughout the record will find comforting relief elsewhere in equally rapturous outings like the fire-breathing lead single, “Shame, Shame”, and the shredding hard rock of the guttural “No Son of Mine”.
The most stirringly profound moment of the record however proves to be one that is fully steeped in classic Foo Fighters. “Waiting on a War” finds Grohl and the band paring things down to a mostly acoustic backdrop and a naked lyric that grapples with the seemingly endless sense of doom that haunts our society, and in reality has for many generations. It very much recalls trademark band performances such as “Times Like These”, “Walk”, and “These Days”. While the subject matter is certainly heavier, there’s a tremendous sense of optimism and hope as the performance explodes into a full-on rock jam session at the finale, thus remaining loyal to the overarching spirit of the entire album.
Medicine at Midnight is a positively thrilling and entertaining listen, and in keeping in the grand tradition of classic rock records, provoking all the same. It rejuvenates one’s soul and spirit, in a time when they’ve been tested like no other. Not only will this remain a front-runner for 2021’s best musical moment over the next ten months, it’s also a more than worthy addition to the catalog of an act who may just be today’s greatest modern rock band.
Track Listing:
- “Making a Fire” (Foo Fighters)
- “Shame, Shame” (Fighters)
- “Cloudspotter” (Fighters)
- “Waiting on a War” (Fighters)
- “Medicine at Midnight” (Fighters)
- “No Son of Mine” (Fighters)
- “Holding Poison” (Fighters)
- “Chasing Birds” (Fighters)
- “Love Dies Young” (Fighters)
The 706 
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