Concrete and Gold was written in seclusion in the small Californian town of Ojala, where Foo Fighters linchpin Dave Grohl – recuperating from a broken leg after he fell off a stage in 2015 – pondered not only on the meaning of social and political life but also his creative currency.

Concluding that after eight studio albums old habits had to go, Grohl set about changing things. The results are random, and range from ever-so-slightly tweaking meat’n’veg, turbo-charged rock to recalibrating music clearly (and gleefully) influenced by The Beatles and Pink Floyd.

The album, produced by noted poptician Greg Kurstin, has a distinct direction towards a more radio-friendly sound, with songs such as Sunday Rain, on which Paul McCartney guests, Happy Ever After (Zero Hour) and the politicised title track hitting targets previously missed. foofighters.com