RUTHIE FOSTER- JOY COMES BACK
This isn’t going to be as detailed as I’m rather late after my nearly two week hospital stay (I keep pulling that card don’t I?). This definitely starts off as a nice piece of R&B. I’m really grooving into Working Woman. Like most female R&B singers, Ruthie has a good voice and I love the organ work on this track.
The title track comes off as a bit of countrified gospel, not bad. Nice guitar work. It mellows a bit with Open Sky and I can see the Tracy Chapman comparisons. Is this a sign Ruthie is heading for a more commercial MOR appeal? Let’s hope not.
Ah, War Pigs. Yes, interesting cover to say the least, but then again, maybe Ruthie is one for protest and you have to admit, War Pigs was pretty odd as an anti-war song for a metal band like Black Sabbath to begin with. It probably does belong more in the folk/blues genre then in heavy metal. I mean can you imagine Motley Crue destroying this classic?
Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever is a more conventional cover and I guess it’s a fair track. The rest of the album is basic mellow folk/R&B but finishes nicely with Forgiven.
So, overall, I’d have to say this was a good pick, Trollheart. And maybe give Foster a chance. Yes, she does have the potential to disappoint as some do go into that Toni Braxton direction for want of a better comparison. But, then again, she could also be Patti Smith, you never know.
8/10 (The Word has spoken
)