EP Review: Foo Fighters – Saint Cecilia
2 min read
The letter that accompanies the Saint Cecilia EP is both troubling and enlightening: While there are blatant references to some kind of break for the Foo Fighters as a unit, it also makes the state of the EP perfectly clear. It’s a free collection of songs, some from 20 years ago, recorded with friends in a hotel. A simple, impulsive way to record, but one that injects a whole lot of life into the music as well.
Whether it’s due to the free nature of the EP or way the EP was recorded, the songs all feel simple and classic; the straight-forward rock and roll sound is instantly engaging, especially on the title track’s slow build into a consistent attitude-driven arrangement. The steady racing pace of Sean and the chaotic, screeching arrangement of Savior Breath continue the trend of free-spirited rock and roll, but even as it goes calmer for its closing two tracks they still feel uninhibited and honest. By taking such an impulsive, unconventional method with the creation of Saint Cecilia, they’ve created something short, sweet and worthy of sending them off into whatever break it is they have planned.
Both the songs and the entire Saint Cecilia package feel surprisingly satisfying, never leaving you wanting more or wanting something different; it’s as thrilling to listen to as it supposedly was for them to record. It may not be the flashiest or most creative EP ever released, but it proves the point that not everything has to be flashy to stand out.
