Radney Foster – “Revival”

With the lead single from his upcoming album of the same name, singer-songwriter Radney Foster celebrates moments of great promise and renewal, moments shot through with love and hope for a better tomorrow.

There’s seemingly precious little that doesn’t fit with this general theme: Foster finds room for references to baptism, the transformative power of music, Jerusalem, Tiananmen Square, how much he loves his girl, and more. While the way Foster flits from one thing to the next does seem a bit unfocused–the sudden personalization in the “my miracle moment was giving you my heart” line is particularly jarring – the expansive quality of the lyric is actually well matched to the unrestricted feel of the arrangement, which seems to reach for the heavens even as it remains grounded in a polished Texas rock aesthetic.

Foster’s performance is wide open and jubilant, a sonic embodiment of the song’s message. Although the lyrics may read deceptively simple – the heart of the song is its chorus, which goes “Hallelujah, a little revival, amen to love/Deep in my soul, a little revival, amen to love” – Foster’s imminently strong ear for melody and absolute commitment to the central emotion can’t help but bring them to life. The end result is a convincing country rocker with some of the heft of a modern hymn.

Although it’s less than a masterwork, “Revival” is notable as a song that lifts us up without dumbing itself down or getting overly prescriptive in its message of hope. Country radio would be in better shape than it is today if more of its favored songwriters (or artists or producers) knew how to strike the balance Foster achieves here.

Listen: Radney Foster – “Revival”