The Foo Fighters share just where they are, physically, mentally, and spiritually on But Here We Are, and take us along with them on a journey of healing.
I never say to anyone who is facing a tragedy or significant loss “I know how you feel.” I don’t. Even though I’ve faced tragedy and experienced significant loss. Like Dave Grohl I lost a brother. Taylor Hawkins was Grohl’s brother. I empathize with Grohl. I feel for him, and all of those who were close to Taylor, but I don’t “know” how he feels. Grief and loss are experienced by everyone just a little bit differently. When Grohl sings, “Are you feeling what I’m feeling?” and “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” in “Rescued,” the lead single from The Foo Fighters’ lean new album But Here We Are, I can honestly answer “yes.” But I would never assume to “know” what he’s thinking or feeling. After a listen through the album, it’s pretty easy to understand what Grohl is thinking and feeling in the wake of Taylor Hawkins’ death though. The least of which is that Taylor, like any lost loved one, is irreplaceable.
Grohl not only lost his brother recently, but his mother as well. Sadly, tragedies often seem to occur in couplets or triplets, so there is more than just the loss of one loved one for Grohl to process on But Here We Are. The excellent 10 minute plus song “Teacher” pays beautiful, uplifting and introspective tribute to Grohl’s mother, Virginia Hanlon Grohl. She was a public school teacher for 30 years so the title is fitting for a song about her. It’s easy to read into the grief and resilience that weaves its way through the entire album’s songs and lyrics in light of recent events in Grohl’s life, but the lyrics, like all artistic and poetic song lyrics, can be applied to situations outside of just the loss of a loved one. Songs like album standout “The Glass” do speak directly to Grohl’s loss though, and it does so in ways that only he can, both musically and lyrically.
As for the question of who’s the new drummer, yes, the burning question that fueled millions of click bait articles and swayed odds in Vegas (well, maybe…I mean you can bet on anything in Vegas right?). The short answer is that The Foo Fighters have a drummer. His name is Dave Grohl. In fact, Grohl played drums on But Here We Are. I suspect that this will be the case for the remainder of The Foo Fighters’ career as a band. The intangibles that Taylor brought to the group are irreplaceable. No one could fill that void. Josh Freese is an amazing drummer and has the resume to prove it. He will be an excellent touring member of the band. Perhaps as time goes by he will become part of the fold and contribute studio work and songs, but somehow I doubt it. Grohl said that the band was going to be very different going forward, and I take that to mean that it will be a band with a great lead singer, songwriter, and drummer and an amazing touring drummer.
But Here We Are doesn’t rank amongst the best of The Foo Fighters albums, but it isn’t meant to. It is meant to be a simple, yet powerful statement of where the band, and Grohl in particular, are at this moment physically, mentally, and spiritually. Measured on those metrics alone, it is a phenomenal rock album, just like every Foo Fighters’ album is.
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