Full of soulful, emotional, and energetic feelings, Adam Foster’s newest 10-track album, Late Bloomer, looks to invite listener’s into the songwriters musical world, as he takes you through a lifetime of experiences in sonic form.
Drawing influence from the Mount Rushmore of songwriters like Bob Dylan and Neil Young, Foster has created a unique sound by combining rock, country, roots, and blues stylings into each of his tunes. The Nashville songsmith has released a series of original albums prior, and has played around the country in venues, listening rooms, and at festivals since his younger teen years.
Late Bloomer is Foster’s first release since his 2019 record, Dirty City.
He opens the album with the loungy groover, “Hello, How Are You,” that features a myriad of unique instrumentation, including a bluesy guitar lead, melancholic accordion, and a gentle ukulele harmony. The song is a jolly welcome to the rest of the project, as Foster sings about the better world that he has created within his music. The piece makes me think of the kind of tunes you’d hear walking through the Grand Opening of the world’s greatest musical amusement park.
“Always Raining” is a drastic change in tone to the opening track, but demonstrates Foster’s versatility in genre-bending and ability to fit within different musical styles. Underlaid by a jazzy brass section and smooth drum line, the songwriter’s clean-cut vocals tells the story of a troubled woman and the persistence of her the gloomy weather within her head. This song touches upon the groovier, more blues-inspired part of Foster’s musicianship and how he utilizes specific instrumentation to feature different genre stylings.
“Lower Broadway” is a frank tune about Nashville’s infamous bar-crawl street, and the different walks of life that frequent the stretch. The song consists of spirited trumpet melodies, an upbeat piano interlay, and a groove that perfectly represents the laid back energy of the scene he describes. The singer paints a picture of the diversity of people and experiences that occur during all hours of the day on the bustling block.
The project slows down for a moment with “Everybody Get’s Their Heart Broken,” a gentle and heavyhearted ballad about a breakup. The song includes pensive moments of lyricism paired with bittersweet slide guitar harmonies and climactic breakdowns of guitar solos and powerful organ underlays. While a wistful tune, Foster’s musicianship displays his feelings in an emotive and personified manner.
Foster picks his spirits back up during the tune “Dance All Night,” as he sings about an elusive late night dance party. It’s a demonstration of the freedom that comes with adolescence and fleeting youth. The brass section energizes the song with bright melodies and momentous dynamics that excite at every measure. This song brings some of the swing energy that’s common with classic blues and country compositions, and demonstrates Foster’s ability to combine the two musical themes.
Late Bloomer closes out with a farewell rendition of the opening track, “Goodbye, See You Soon,” that features the same melody but with departing lyrics, leaving the listener in the wake of cheerful tune and tying it all together.
Foster’s delightfully eclectic sound and melding of genres is evident with Late Bloomer, and we’ll be keeping an eye out for his live performances and future releases.
