Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace

Dave Grohl and gang are nothing if not consistent. Although the band often subtly incorporate new styles into each album, Foo Fighters never stray too far from the usual combination of melodious pop-punk and loud, driving guitars. Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace plays as a compilation of all the little musical turns the band has taken over the past decade, which should certainly please long time fans.

Echoes, Silence, Patience, & Grace continually reaches back into the Foo Fighters’ catalogue. The record contains elements of the straightforward, brutal energy of their classic The Colour and the Shape, with other tunes made up of breezy pop melodies reminiscent of the Foo’s 1995 debut. Many of Echoes’ tracks also recall the restrained, acoustic style of the second disc of 2005’s In Your Honor. This gives fans the pleasure of hearing a very diverse set featuring Grohl’s soft harmonies, as well as the lead man’s signature gravelly roar.

One diverse element of Echoes is the way in which Dave Grohl seems fragile and open about possible insecurities more than ever, especially on album closer “Home.” “Just looking for shelter from the cold and the pain, someone to cover, safe from the rain,” laments Grohl. Although instrumentally the song is dull, it is interesting to hear the lead singer so vulnerable. This certainly is not the tone of the entire record, though, as the folk strings and sunny melody of “Summer’s End,” along with the catchy, relentless rocking chorus of “Cheer Up Boys” help lighten the mood.

• The Pretender
• Summer's End
• Long Road to Ruin
• Statues
• Cheer Up, Boys (Your Make Up Is Running)

There may be a few missteps on Echoes, such as the hard rocking, monotonous scream fest “Come Alive,” or the color-by-numbers guitars of “But Honestly.” Still, it takes a very mature, accomplished band to put together a record such as this. The Foo Fighters have proven with this album that they’ve only gotten better with time.