Foghat has long been regarded as a pioneer in boogie hard rock, a band that once pushed boundaries with classic albums, like “Energized”, “Rock and Roll Outlaws”, “Fool for the City” and “Night Shift”, to name but a few. Their only original member is drummer Roger Earl and, unfortunately, their recent release, “Sonic Mojo” falls short of the expectations set by their 70s milestones, presenting listeners with a mediocre ride. Stylistically, the new Foghat album is … a little bit of everything – sometimes you will get bluesy hard rock, sometimes southern/country rock, sometimes pure blues. It is clear that the band still holds the essence of hard rockin’ blues, however, there is a lack of interesting song ideas! Yes, I like what I listen to, it’s original and true, yet, the song material sounds uninspired. The refrains and the vocal lines in general are generic and dated, the guitar riffs lack the creativity that once defined the band and as a result, the album sounds clichéd and predictable. I didn’t find the Foghat I loved in “Sonic Mojo”, I didn’t find boogie in here! None of the twelve songs of the album managed to keep my interest, so I don’t think that I will ever listen to the whole album again. This is a disappointing addition to the band’s discography – decent, emotional and passionate, but with a very strong issue in its songwriting. A few moments of nostalgia cannot save the game.
♦ 5,5/10
Dimitris Zacharopoulos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN8FJH5XyEc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8ISFQG1xrI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS1neYwklnU
