Foo Fighters have fun again. They have earned it, as their last album, ‘But Here We Are’, was the first they had released since the death of their drummer and founding member, Taylor Hawkins, at the age of 50. The new one, ‘Your Favorite Toy’, is the first since the entry of the new drummer, Ilan Rubin, exchanged with Nine Inch Nails, who were left with Josh Freese.
‘Your Favorite Toy’ can be heard on April 24, although Foo Fighters fans have already been able to hear previews of several cuts from the album through their website. One of them is the title track, available today.
The album will bring ‘Asking for a Friend’ as well, but be careful because ‘Your Favorite Toy’ is going to immediately stand out in Foo Fighters’ recent repertoire: it’s been a long time since Dave Grohl’s group sounded so lively, garagey and distorted.
Grohl’s voice is virtually inaudible behind the noise on this furious, unhinged ‘Your Favorite Toy’, while the crystalline guitar melodies and humming “na na nas” soothe that fury in contrast. It is not surprising that the lyrics mention a union of “candy and dopamine, so sweet”, although probably referring to another type of candy.
‘Your Favorite Toy’ has plenty of dopamine, although it should be noted that the song has a serious undertone, since, in phrases like “Hold fast and hold my hand / And hold me over the fire” or “Is the pressure hard enough / If the treasure’s not enough?”, the band seems to refer to seeking emotional support during a dark episode or extreme stress.
