Foo Fighters release “The Line,” the final promo single issued in advance of the highly-anticipated album, ‘Concrete and Gold’ (September 15).  

The Foo Fighters make a highly-anticipated return in 2017 with a new album, Concrete and Gold.  The last outing by the band, Sonic Highways, was respectable, but not nearly as accomplished as Wasting Light from 2011.  As of yet, Concrete and Gold is off to a good start with single “Run” being relatively satisfying.  Things got even better with the second single, “The Sky Is a Neighborhood.” Now, Foo Fighters drop one final single ahead of the album, “The Line.”

“The Line” is less pop-oriented than the single it follows, “The Sky is a Neighborhood.” This is apparent from the start, as “The Line” commences abruptly.  Dave Grohl exhibits poise, but musically, like the previous singles, the guitars are amped up to the max. By the chorus, the wall of guitar sound hits like a brick.  Nonetheless, Grohl remains commanding, even if his backdrop is loaded or overloaded.  The chorus gives “The Line” more memorability to accompany those edgy guitars.  If nothing else, the spirit of rock and roll thrives.

There is cons.  The first is quite subjective.  “The Line” doesn’t possess the same melodic, infectious nature as “The Sky is a Neighborhood,” the best single issued in advance of Concrete and Gold.  Taking it a step further, arguably “The Line” doesn’t latch as much as “Run” did upon its arrival.  It takes a couple of listens for “The Line” to show its full appeal.  For a listener in search of a ready-made gem, they may be a bit disappointed “The Line” doesn’t instantly have that effect.

Final Thoughts 

So, how does “The Line” measure up for Foo Fighters? It’s the type of record where you like a lot of its characteristics, but aren’t quite sold on the final product.  There are a lot of things that tickle my fancy, but the song fails to pop out cohesively.  The rock is firmly planted through the bombastic production and gritty vocals by Grohl, but the song itself is a bit underwhelming compared to others by the band.

Foo Fighters • Concrete and Gold • RCA • Release: 9.15.17

Photo Credit: RCA