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The cover art of Foo's ESP&G reminds one of their 1995 self-titled debut: muted background, centered layout, a weapon overwhelming the space. But if you go in hoping for some of the old Foo magic, you'll be sadly disappointed. We've come to accept the fact that the Foo of old is gone, which is surprising considering how little the band seems to evolve anymore. They try new tricks each time out, sure, but it's all in the same framework as ever. Everything is primed for mass consumption. It's arena-friendly in the sort of way that would make bands like Kansas and Foreigner proud. The productions are slick and uncorrupted. There's so little breathing room in each radio-friendly nugget because they're designed with the same sort of affection we would hope for, but not in the way that we would hope for. Even the softest and gentlest ballads sound like little more than very subdued anthems.

But if you're going to depend on any band earning major airplay to fill an arena, you might as well go with Foo Fighters. After all, they do it better than almost any of their peers by a long shot, and even while we wish for more, the resulting product is almost always satisfying. Grohl and company are older and wiser now; can we really expect the same sort of energy and aggression as before? But to play it so safe is still a deflating realization. The songs are built to be sung along to, packaged for commercial success, and we swallow each pill without choking. It's very easy to like this album. It's near impossible to be passionate about it.

Like most Foo records, this one opens the gates with thrust and gusto as first single "The Pretender" builds up steam and charges full-speed ahead. "Let It Die" comes next, following the patented method of a story of two halves: one slowly building but spare and simple, the other galloping and loud, letting the freak flag of rawk fly. "Erase/Replace" is the standard issue Foo rocker, fun but forgettable and easy going down. They can do appealing acoustic ditties well, too, though. "Stranger Things Have Happened" moves surprisingly quickly for a five-minute plus ballad. "Home" is a pretty piano ballad that recalls Jackson Browne in a good way. The problems come when they want heavy guitars rolling along on creaky and derivative melodies that would feel more at home in the hands of the Goo Goo Dolls. "Long Road to Ruin," "Cheer Up Boys, Your Makeup Is Running," and "Statues" are the prime offenders of these crimes, and they're easily the weakest tracks of an already uneven batch. Even "Summer's End," which has an undeniable folk heart sprinkled with good-ol-boy 70s rock flourishes, is a tale of two cities, both at odds, neither happy to share space. Buffalo Springfield could have made it work; Foo just look lost.

That they would try an eclectic collection like this is heartening, though. Their other albums were distinctively marked in niches. Even when early Foo tried to change things up by going the mellow pop route with songs like "Big Me" and "Walking After You," they followed the distinctive patterns of the surrounding material. And In Your Honor had two very divergent styles, but they were separated on opposing sides, each of which were almost too "samey" on either end. But if they think they're doing Led Zeppelin's III by loading the disc with nearly as many mid-tempo numbers as zippy hard rockers, they have to figure out how to do the music in between the extremes. Grohl alone with an acoustic guitar and simple but heartfelt lyrics is fine. The whole band playing fast and heavy with slick but fun gate-chargers is usually quite good as well. Trying to coast along in the middle ground is a tough mission, one that I wonder if Grohl and the boys are capable of succeeding. I wish it were different—Grohl seems an affable and fun guy, he's a hell of a drummer and no slouch on the guitar, and the rest of the band offers solid support and better—but it's tough to think otherwise anymore.

6 out of 10

The new "From the Archives" feature on JPP will showcase album reviews ranging from recent history to the distant past. As they are culled “from the archives,” they will not look back beyond the moment the review was first written but will instead represent the first impression and impact of each album.