Foo Fighters’ “Sonic Highways” lacks an innovative sound despite the band’s new city-to-city songwriting approach.

The album, which was released Monday, came out with the Foo Fighters’ rockcumentary of the same title. The series documents the band’s recording of the eight songs on the album in eight cities. Each song has a definite flavor of the city it was recorded in, adding richness to the narrative of the album. Dave Grohl, lead singer and guitarist, poured incredible amounts of affection into “Sonic Highways.”

“Something from Nothing” features funky guitar licks and lines that call back to the Great Chicago Fire. This song, naturally, was recorded in Chicago, and it is influenced by Chicago-based bands like the Smashing Pumpkins, who rely heavily on layering guitar with the lead singer’s vocals.

Grohl’s signature growl and vocals are as strong as ever and are shown well through the powerful fourth track, a two-part piece: “What Did I Do? / God as My Witness.” This song, which was recorded in Austin, is peppered with elements of punk and Southern rock.

These eight songs, while inspired by their respective cities, maintain Foo Fighters usual soft alternative rock sound.

The concept behind the album is something the band hasn’t tried before, but that’s not totally apparent in the songs, as many of them sound like they could come from the Foo Fighters’ previous albums. The opening riff to “Something from Nothing” sounds similar to earlier Foo Fighters’ hits, like the 2007 single, “The Pretender.”

Unfortunately, the songs don’t seem to have strayed far from the band’s comfort level. This does not eliminate the rich story created by the album’s conception.

“Sonic Highways’” reoccurring motif of the number 8 is even shown on its cover, which includes eight famous structures from the eight cities where the album was recorded.

For pure aesthetic value, the record is a fascinating example of superior album design and shows the dedication of Grohl and his bandmates. But, musically, “Sonic Highways” is more of the same sound as heard in previous albums.

Fans of the Foo Fighters will certainly travel in droves to attain this uniquely crafted album, which has been called Grohl’s “love letter to the history of American music.” This love letter is beautifully written and sounds fine, but it’s a letter that has been written before.