Album Review : Foo Fighters - Medicine at Midnight (2021)
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Although they sound nothing alike, the Foo Fighters have a lot in common with their arena rock elders Journey. Build from the ashes of the last rock titans Nirvana, their biggest strength is their relatability. They are not exactly rock stars. They are relatively normal middle-aged men who sing about relatively normal middle-aged people are going though. It is why I like them. Foo Fighters know who they are and they’re rocking the fuck out anyway.
Well… they seemed to know who they were for decades. After hearing their new album Medicine at Midnight, I had doubts about whether or not they’re losing the plot.
I was a fan of Foo Fighters’ previous record Concrete & Gold. There were two crushing bangers on it that haven’t left my Spotify playlists since. Medicine at Midnight cast doubt on itself right away with Making a Fire. Anthony Fantano made the joke already, but it sounds like a fucking car commercial with its blatant power chords and derivative “Na-Na-Na-Na-Na” back vocals. This is weirdly off-brand from their trademark existential arena rock.
Don’t get me wrong, Foo Fighters were always on the more commercial side. But Making a Fire sounds like it was written by some label executive’s song and given to them to perform. It’s not good. There are a few head scratchers like these on Medicine at Midnight. The closer Love Dies Young sounds like it was written and recorded very quickly. It’s oozing with ridiculous clichés like “Please, don’t take my breath away” or “It’s a better kiss that’ll make you wish.”
No Son of Mine is another easy, power chords and clichés filled anthem that has very little of the edge that kept Foo Fighters alive while every other commercial rock band was plummeting. I take no pleasure in telling you this. I’m a 38 years old white man from Canada. I wanted this album to be good, but some of these songs feel like they’ve been written just for the sake of writing new songs. Almost like they were written by an AI trying to replicate Dave Grohl.
There are good songs on Medicine at Midnight. Maybe not immortals like Dirty Water or Happy Ever After (Zero Hours), but songs that reminded me why I liked them. My favorite was Cloudspotter, which was a nice, straightforward throwback to The Colour and The Shape. I have no fucking idea what it’s about, but it has this classic rock structure that builds ups and exuberantly explodes at every chorus. It’s fun, catchy, intoxicating and over before it starts.
Waiting on a War is a little on the nose, but it’s quite catchy nonetheless. It promises to be a power ballad that people will sing from the top of their lung during live shows. The subject matter (apocalypse anxiety) also promises to make it a memorable song from Medicine at Midnight. Chasing Birds is another one I really liked. The lyrics were a little cliché, but musically it exploited the weirder, more daring side of Foo Fighters. It was the only one of the album, really.
I don’t know what was Dave Grohl’s intention when writing Medicine at Midnight, but it has this weird Talking Heads-like upbeat funkiness in several songs, which is completely fucking disconnected from why I liked Foo Fighters. It feels almost playful. Foo Fighters were never at their best when they were playful. They’re at their best when they sound like desperate dads rocking out their frustration in their garage. At least it is how I like them.
I’ll be blunt: I had a bland, middle-of-the-road impression of Medicine at Midnight. I came in with a knife between the teeth, looking forward to find excuses to like this album. But I didn’t. It doesn’t feel inspired at all. To a certain extent it’s understandable. When you’ve dominated rock music for decades like this, you either walk into the sunset or just start releasing songs for the sake of releasing songs. That is exactly what Medicine at Midnight sounds like.
5.7/10
