Legacy units like this one are generally starting out one step behind; poised to deliver but equally slated for failure. Out of the shards of Nirvana come Mr. Grohl's Foo Fighters. Buried somewhere in their press kit probably lays the rationale for the name, but there's little need for fluff of that kind for the moment. The single, " This Is A Call" was greeted by alternative radio with open arms, and if they ever get around to liberating it from their mindset, there's more raw power type fun to be uncovered.
If we have to reckon with the similarities, they are indeed there. Grohl fosters Nirvana's innate affinity for melody that made Nevermind the immense crossover burden that it became. Couple that with the former trio's trademark of sheer thrust and there are some of the key elements that made Kurt & Co., and now subsequently, the Foos work.
But the distinctions are there as well. "Floaty" starts off grounded enough with an almost Led Zep like acoustic intro before it wafts off, held up by a swirling tuft of flange. "Big Me" has the strumming gentleness of a Teenage Fanclub number while "Weenie Beenie" counters with a Thurston Moore cum Mudhoney noise buffer and a distorto-Reznor vocal. Point being that the Foos feel comfortable on either side of the alterna-fence. And, they can just as deftly weld both faces of the band together when it suits them as well. For instance, the initial slow amble of "For All The Cows" eventually bursts into full 4/4 gallop a minute or so into it and back again hitch free.
There are a couple of waning moments, but not enough to meander over in print. And while most of these songs have been with Grohl for some time and probably aren't lyrically pointed at the here and now, the "I don't owe you anything" line in "I'll Stick Around" has a funny ring of truth to it for all the grunge mavens who might be looking to Grohl for a bit of salvation. Nope, he doesn't, but the Foos deliver any"hoo".
