Foster & Lloyd
It's Already Tomorrow (Effin Ell)
Reviewed by Jim Caligiuri, Fri., July 1, 2011
Foster & Lloyd
It's Already Tomorrow (Effin Ell)Texans Radney Foster and Bill Lloyd pulled off the late-1980s feat of having their songs played on both country and college radio. Mixing Byrds jangle, Everly Brothers harmonies, Texas twang, and impeccable songcraft, the pair captured the ears of those attuned to both R.E.M. and Rodney Crowell. More than 20 years on, it's as if they never left. It's Already Tomorrow brims with Lloyd's inventive power-pop guitar style and Foster's ability to get into a lyric with deep emotional resonance. That they've recruited Cheap Trick's Tom Petersson as bassist on "Hold That Thought" is gravy. "Picasso's Mandolin," a co-write with Guy Clark, struts with a dark yet imposing energy fueled by Sam Bush's guest turn. The lighthearted Bakersfield style and cute wordplay found on "Can't Make Love Make Sense" recalls F&L's earlier work. There's an undeniable chemistry when Foster & Lloyd make music together, and it's heartening to hear it, once again, in full bloom.
