Review Summary: Angrily rolling down the hill.
Dave Grohl proved several times he can write interesting, fun music when he truly commits to a certain project. Aside from his main band, the man played an important role in various projects over the years, such as Them Crooked Vultures, Sound City Players or Queens of the Stone Age. Also, echoing Probot, the Dream Widow LP of the fictional thrash metal band featured in his Studio 666 movie, provided a cool, gritty soundtrack. Unfortunately, it’s with Foo Fighters where Grohl feels eternally stuck in an arena rock purgatory, rarely delivering any ambitious, satisfying records these days. 2023’s
But Here We Are is an exception, fueled by the unfortunate deaths of Taylor Hawkins and the front man's mother. It saw the band at their most vulnerable yet focused since 2011’s
Wasting Light. Last year, the sextet celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of their self-titled debut, welcomed drummer Ilan Rubin on board and then performed various gigs around the world. Perhaps some of that straightforward, energetic vibe stood as the basis of
Your Favorite Toy, however, something just doesn’t quite gel on their latest full-length. Dave can’t go all the way back to the punk rock mindset of the early days now that he is headlining stadiums, so this new collection of tracks is mostly stranded in middle-of-the-road territory.
Nevertheless, there are a few engaging moments on
Your Favorite Toy, like the immediate bangers “Of All People” and “Spit Shine”. The former’s catchy riffs and vitriolic lyrics make for a fun listen, whereas the latter successfully brings back the chaotic energy of the early days. Dave still screams well for his age, doing a fine job on “Amen, Caveman” as well. Moreover, “Asking for a Friend” shares heavier progressions, echoing the work done on
In Your Honor. The melodic parts blend in well too, becoming a fine example of what the group wanted to achieve with this record. Unfortunately,
Your Favorite Toy meanders from here, ultimately settling into a safe, at times boring sonic bubble. From the remaining tunes, the classic rock/alternative rhythm of “Window” sounds nice, even if it is nothing new in their catalog. Same goes for the breezy chords of “Unconditional”, a song whose driving beat saves it from ending up a potentially dull ballad. Still, digging for enjoyable bits doesn’t cover the LP’s overall blandness or minimal replay value. Foo Fighters definitely have it in them to craft another strong album, it is maybe just a matter of time until they are truly in sync again.
