So probably the most anticipated music of the year for me arrived a couple of weeks back in the form of the Foo Fighter’s first studio album in two years.

If you know I’m a big fan, you probably won’t be surprised to learn I pre-ordered and played the thing on repeat for a couple of days and on a couple of longish train journeys.

For me, The Foos are at their best when on their ‘rock’ setting – I didn’t buy the Skin and Bones album which was released last year – not that I wouldn’t want it to make a complete set, but I wasn’t overly impressed with the second (acoustic) CD from their In Your Honour album.

Maybe they overdid it, providing too much material to digest, but thankfully their newest (one CD album) really impresses, including the slower stuff.

Knowing that I love their stuff anyway, writing an unbiased review is not straight forward, although I can be pragmatic comparing it their back catalogue, and overall I think it falls perfectly.

I won’t individually dissect all the tracks on the album, but here are my pick:

• The Pretender – The first track released, the first on the album. A piece that crescendos to a great punchy and scream-along chorus.
• Statues – The slowest pace I like from the Foos, this is one of the more relaxed pieces, and very easy listening.
• Long Road To Ruin – Starts with some fantastic opening lyrics, soon launching into a memorable chorus and although I didn’t warm to it immediately, now my second favourite track.
• Summer’s End – Ok, so other’s have called this country and western but I think that’s unfair. A late-summer feel good track (like Stereophonics – Daktota) that seems to be keeping it’s appeal now the nights are drawing in.
• Erase/Replace – Rock again, feels like something from One By One and really enjoyable. Only problem is the title – Erase/Replace reminds me of Erase and Rewind by The Cardigans, a song I mysteriously find hard to tolerate for no good reason.
• Cheer Up Boys (Your Make Up Is Running) – Poking fun at the Emo crowd apparently, I just like the chorus…

So that’s my recommendation, and in terms of the album as a whole, a big thumbs up and most certainly some of their best stuff ever. It’s one of the main reasons I love this band – they can’t stop (at least partially) improving on their prior work.