Revival

A few hundred pages probably wouldn't be enough to hold the words one could write on the Texas songwriting scene. The list of great Lone Star singer/songwriters is endless. Hovering close to the top of the pack is Del Rio native Radney Foster. Foster, who earned his stripes as one half of country duo Foster & Lloyd back in the 1980s, has carved out a distinguished solo career and garnered a rabid fan base with his rock, folk, country, and blues style. With Revival, Foster adds a bit of gospel to the mix. From the opening raunch and roll of "A Little Revival," a blistering country-rock hymn that rattles like a loose muffler on a car that's seen better days, to the closing reprise of the same track — re-geared into a bluegrass romp with special guest Jon Randall — Revival is as potent as a thousand Sunday sermons. Foster stands tall at the Americana pulpit on R&B-grooved numbers "Trouble Tonight," and "Shed a Little Light," and preaches his brand of musical salvation. "Forgiveness" touches on a topic we all need to spend a few minutes thinking about each day. Foster isn't heavy-handed when he evangelizes, but he gets his point across loud and clear. Standout tracks on the disc include "I Made Peace with God" and "Angel Flight." The latter is an emotional composition inspired by the pilots who bring the war dead home to U.S. soil. Foster and co-writer Darden Smith have crafted a moving tribute to the men and women who do their best day in and day out to make the world a better place. If you're not part of the Foster faithful before you listen to Revival, you certainly will be afterward. Now let's have a big "Amen" from the congregation.