Story by Lindsey Stephens / Contributing Writer
“Medicine at midnight, but it ain’t no cure.”
Lyrics from the title track of Foo Fighters’ 10th studio album, “Medicine at Midnight.”
After COVID-19 caused its year-long delay, Foo Fighters released the long-awaited album, “Medicine at Midnight,” on Friday. Initially, the album was set to be released in April 2020, accompanied by a 25th-anniversary tour, but the band wanted to wait out the coronavirus pandemic.
It’s clear that we are still in the midst of the pandemic, but lead vocalist and founder Dave Grohl made the decision to release the album on Friday in hopes of lifting people’s spirits during this extremely tough time.
The stories lyrically depicted on this nine-track album make it a wonderful, worth-while listen. Prior to being released, the band released three songs off the album: “Shame Shame,” “No Son of Mine” and “Waiting on a War.”
With such an anticipated album on the way, fans were looking forward to seeing what message the band would portray in their comeback album after taking a break in 2017. With a conspicuous new and upbeat pop sound, the band’s message of positivity is loud and clear.
“Medicine at Midnight” starts off with the song “Making a Fire,” setting the mood for the rest of the collection. Grohl sings of waiting a lifetime to live, and he’s starting a fire to start living.
If you’re a fan of the band’s new pop-inspired sound, be sure to listen to “Shame Shame” and “Holding Poison.”
Don’t be surprised if you catch yourself bopping your head along to the beat with these songs. Similarly, “Medicine at Midnight,” has familiar hues of musical artists David Bowie and Eric Clapton.
My personal favorites of these recordings are “Cloudspotter” and “Chasing Birds.”
I’m a sucker for interesting lyrics and hearing the line “Swing, swing, guillotine queen” for the first time instantly made me obsessed with “Cloudspotter.” The riff is extremely catchy, and I found myself relistening to it after I had gone through the entire album.
“Chasing Birds” is not something I would typically expect from Foo Fighters. It seems to be the story of trying to chase something that you want for so long, but it’s hurting you more than it’s helping you, so you have to say goodbye. While the band definitely does have its fair share of ballads, throwing this melancholy song onto the record definitely took me by surprise.
“No Son of Mine” is a song I look forward to hearing live after we are able to go back to concerts; it is definitely a song I can imagine listening and singing along to in the pit. Upon first listening I was really only concerned with the music, but after I listened a second time, I understood the content of the lyrics and had a good laugh. The entire premise of this track is to be a satirical nod at the hypocrisy of the self-righteous leaders in the world.
The last two tracks left me hanging and wanting more. The ending of “Waiting on a War” definitely took me by surprise on account of the increased tempo, but also because of how real the song felt.
This song is the embodiment of a fear I’ve had since I was a child, waiting for the ground to fall from under my feet and letting chaos ensue. This song begs the question: “is there more to this than that?”
The closing song is “Love Dies Young,” and it truly sealed the album’s fate. By leaving me wanting more with the last song, I think Foo Fighters did an amazing job of making me look forward to hearing their next collection.
I would definitely recommend giving this album a listen– even if you’re not a huge Foo Fighters fan– because with its diverse range of musical endeavors, I’m willing to bet there’s at least one song on this album that you’ll enjoy.
To contact Lifestyles Editor Ashley Barrientos, email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com.
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