Artist...Radney Foster
Album....Labour Of Love
Label....Arista
Cat. No...74321 22948 2

Review...
As far as this country is concerned, Radney Foster is part of the new wave of new country artists,
though he's already well established in the States.  The simple fact that the UK version of "Labour Of Love" contains tracks from a previous album "Del Rio", an album that is difficult to get hold of over here, shows that even there is a reluctance to try and break new artists over here to soon.
Foster like many of the new generation is an artist that relies as much on his own strong writing ability as his particular blend of country and country rock licks and riffs.
Foster is a story teller whose medium happens to be five minute storyboards surrounded by instruments and a fine wordsmith he is too.  Tales of love and emotion ride shotgun to stories of violence and revenge.
With no established band, much of the playing was done by top session players as well as guest
appearances by the likes of Mary-Chapin Carpenter and Albert Lee and is good enough to get past
the closest scrutiny.
With the odd nod towards the blues as well as country rock, Radney Foster shows that unlike a few
of the new country crowd he is prepared to experiment with other influences and the album feels all the more solid for it.
If there were more that were as willing to take risks with the sound and come up with new ideas then perhaps it would be easier for both old and new country to make the breakthrough that it's been promising for years.