Foo Fighters
were the most unexpectedly mercurial band in '90s
rock
, boasting a different lineup for each of their three albums. The ever-shifting membership didn't help erase the image that the group was merely a vehicle for
Dave Grohl
, and made it seem like
Grohl
was something of a dictator, at least to some biased outside observers. That's why their third record,
There Is Nothing Left to Lose
, comes as somewhat of a surprise. It is the first
album that sounds like the work of a unified, muscular band, and the first one that rocks really hard. A lot of credit should go to
Adam Kasper
, who produced the record with the band.
has a stripped-down sound and an immediate attack that makes even the poppier numbers rock hard. The organic, natural sound is welcome, but the album also benefits from the strongest set of songs
and
have yet written. There are the typical strong singles, but there's no fat or filler; each track has a memorable hook or melody, and they seem all the more catchy because they're delivered with conviction and confidence. And that's why the album sounds like the first true band album
have made -- the group sounds assured and confident, where they previously seemed like they had something to prove. It's as if they know they have few peers in straight-ahead
post-grunge
hard rock
, so they're willing just to lie back and turn out a solid set of 11 songs. They make it sound easy and fun, and that's what really sets them apart from their contemporaries. That and the fact that they're getting better as they're losing members and growing older, which is certainly a rarity in
rock & roll
. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine