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Foo Fighters
There Is Nothing Left To Lose
1999, Interesting album this one. On their third LP, the Foos were reduced to a core trio of Dave on guitar, Nate on bass and newly hired Taylor on drums. Maybe this stripped down lineup is responsible for the shift towards more traditional rock songwriting here. Or maybe it was the luxury of recording this thing in Dave's basement with no deadlines or label interference. Whatever it is, this was surely a divisive release among fans. Me? I loved it when it came out. And I guess I still do. There's no denying that nostalgia plays a big role in that. This is one of those records that just brings me back to a specific time: my first year in college, working in a record store and hanging out with friends. So that's what this album sounds like to me. It sounds like a carefree time with no responsibilities; a time before social media and all the other rubbish of modern life. But I digress. "Stacked Actors" is friggin' awesome. A great way to start a record as it stands as a manifesto of sorts. It opens with riffs akin to what you'd have expected on The Colour And The Shape, but then morphs into something way more chill and then bounces back and forth. And that's what this record kind of is. It's happy turned up to eleven, but also comfortable with laying low. There's definitely a good number of mellow songs here - "Next Year" perhaps the most well known. The album also featured "Learn To Fly" which has remained one of the band's calling cards. I think my favorite may still be "Breakout," which feels like it shows its 80's punk and new wave love on its sleeve. Look, this record is definitely not the same caliber as its two predecessors. But just going by nostalgia, There Is Nothing Left To Lose sounds really really great to my ears.
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