By Hannah Gill
Never judge a book by its cover, or in this case, an album. Despite the fact that the Foo Fighters named their sixth full-length album “Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace,” a title possibly better suited for an art exhibit, they bring with it enough rock and mellow roll to more than make up for it.
Once again working with producer Gil Norton (producer of their 1997 album, “The Colour and the Shape”), the Foo Fighters fulfill most fans’ expectations, sticking with their roots in pure, simple rock. However, a folk ballad and several numbers reminiscent of Led Zeppelin III may just rake in a new audience for these 90s rockers.
The album opens with Foo’s recent radio hit, “The Pretender,” a classic anthem of intermittent screams and whispers, backed by the pulse of drummer Taylor Hawkins. Leading an album with its first single is usually an indication of space-filling material to follow, but don’t be fooled.
“Erase/Replace” is another demanding tune, featuring a catchy chorus and a surprising compilation of sharp and slow guitar rifts. “Long Road to Ruin” follows, taking Foo back to their days of catchy pop-rock. “Cheer Up, Boys (Your Make Up is Running)” makes an upbeat jab at recently popular emo-rockers and their tearful tunes by shouting a reassuring chorus of “There’s a world out there.” I suppose you emo kids won’t be among the new Foo fans.
The album slows down quite a bit, though not to the extent of their 2005 album, “In Your Honor,” which featured an entire disc of droning melodies and acoustic tunes. The Zeppelin-esque guitar skills of Chris Shiflett combine with a simple keyboard tune in “Statues,” a song whose simple lyrics might just make a good musical number.
Amidst these rather standard Foo productions is one song that stretched far beyond the norm for this Seattle rock group. “Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners,” an instrumental piece dedicated to the Tasmania coal mine victims, gave a convincing portrayal of a folk group masked by a radio-rock band. If nothing else, this jam is definitely download worthy.
Despite the fresh sounds of “Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace,” the album does have its space fillers. Hackneyed numbers like “Stranger Things Have Happened” and “But, Honestly” relapse the band into their trite attempts at acoustic pieces, as heard in “In Your Honor,” and again in their 2006 live album, “Skin and Bones.”
“Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace” falls perfectly in line with the other Foo Fighters’ albums, straying only slightly from their path of screaming rock sprinkled with soft hits. Though none of these songs reach quite the caliber of early hits like “Monkey Wrench” and “Learn to Fly,” Foo finally seems to have progressed beyond its dependence on front man Dave Grohl (initially well-known as the drummer for 90s grunge band Nirvana), into a well-rounded musical group. Hopefully this album is only taste of what is yet to come.
