After the long anticipated wait, the Seattle based band, the Foo Fighters released three new singles for their upcoming album set to be available Feb. 5. The six-man band debuted their first single, “Shame Shame” on Saturday Night Live on Nov. 7 with “No Son of Mine” opening the new year and “Waiting on a War” coming just two weeks later on Jan. 14. 

After an almost four year hiatus from releasing new music, Dave Grohl and his Foo Fighters finally broke their silence by releasing “Shame Shame”. Unlike many of the Foo Fighters’ songs, “Shame Shame” starts off slow, and keeps that tempo for most of the song, differing from most of his loud, energetic, screaming songs. As a matter of fact, this song, in a way, builds off their previous album, Concrete and Gold, which may signal to the listener that the band wants to start to slow things down. Numerous reports gave it rather harsh critiques, referencing the slow, almost funk-driven melody, but after listening to the song again, something stood out. Maybe it was Taylor Hawkins drum arrangement or Grohl’s lyrics and guitar playing that sparked an interest in the song. This definitely is something different from what the Foos usually release which may be a sign of changing times.

The next song, “No Son of Mine,” directly goes back to the old Grohl with his classic rock rasp and scream. Fans were greeted with this song on New Year’s Day and were not disappointed. The fast pace, up beat rhythm keeps the listener constantly hooked on the song and reminds the listener of what the Foo Fighters are: an upbeat, jump around, crazy band. The band adds everything, from the snarling guitars in the foreground to quick drums and bass driving the song rhythm. With these two singles, it shows just how versatile Grohl and his band are going from a slow, melodic song, to a fast, upbeat anthem. 

Using acoustic guitars rather than the Gibson electric guitar, “Waiting on a War” details a fear Grohl had as a child about getting shipped off to war. Ironically, the song was released only a week after the horrid events that unfolded at the nation’s Capitol, not far from where Grohl grew up. Many of the song’s lyrics include love and togetherness with a chorus asking “Is there more to this than that?” Grohl may have written this about his childhood fear of going to war but this song can directly relate to the events unfolding today, making this a favorite so far in 2021. 

With their new album, Medicine at Midnight, set to release on Feb. 5, the Foo Fighters keep you on the edge of your seat with these three very different songs, giving a taste of the versatility and range of the band.