Dave Grohl has remained one of the cornerstones of contemporary rock for well over 25 years. Whether in his work with Nirvana, the Foo Fighters or Them Crooked Vultures, he remains at the forefront of the industry. In this latest release, Grohl returns to his roots and explores the fundamental principles of what constitutes a musician. This 23-minute instrumental doesn’t offer a rock epic, nor does it offer unique sounds and genre influences. Instead, ‘Play’ acts as a reflection of Grohl’s personal artistry and is an experiment in releasing recorded music.

As simple as it sounds, ‘Play’ stands out by simply being the work of a single artist. As a solo piece, Grohl mixes multiple guitars, bass, drums, keyboard and percussion instruments together himself. Not only does this show off Grohl’s multifaceted talent, but also the basis for his musicianship. The piece shows a side of Grohl that is pure artistic expression. Despite never singing, Grohl crafts the instrumental in such a way that the melody, typically introduced by a lead electric guitar, feels dynamic. The constant shift between grungier guitars and heavier drums, fast paced alternative rock jams, softer and calmer acoustic sequences and musically complex progressive rock sections, is a continuous source of new and exciting sounds, which combine a range of tones and textures from a wide variety of genres. Grohl’s influences come across as a perfect reflection of the various styles of rock he’s performed and played over the years, coalescing as an aural summary of the past 25 years in rock.

While the instrumental is available in a range of formats, the best is available through the official website. Giving listeners the option to explore the studio alongside Grohl, the website allows visitors to select individual video and audio tracks to isolate the individual instruments he is playing. It also contains sheet music and a floor plan to demonstrate how this experiment came together.

‘Play’ acts as a refreshing reminder of what are the fundamental principles that drive music. In the short video that plays before the full piece, Grohl sums up his musical rediscovery.

“[Music] is a lifelong obsession – but at the end of the day, just like any kid, the reward is just to play.”