BUT HERE WE ARE was a musical mourning effort following the death of Taylor Hawkins – and the best Foo Fighters album since WASTING LIGHT (2011). With YOUR FAVORITE TOY the band is now taking flight forward, with the new drummer Ilan Rubin and old ingredients.
Dave Grohl may have been remembering the time after Kurt Cobain’s death when he recorded the demos from which the Foo Fighters emerged in 1994. These songs mostly feel indebted to the straightforward, melodic spirit of that time. Of the Beatles-like pieces that Grohl claims to have written during the production, only the mellow-pop “Window” can be heard here.
Otherwise, the Foo Fighters are aggressive and prickly. Only the rowdy title song, reminiscent of Queens Of The Stone Age, with its doo-woop choirs strikes a completely unheard note for this band. Here and there you wish you didn’t get yelled at so often. You know the melodies and dynamics, but then you’re happy to see the band so full of enthusiasm and enthusiasm. “Child Actor” and the already well-known “Asking For A Friend” are the best songs of this breathlessly passing 36 minutes.
