This World We Live in
As the centerpiece and thematic heart of Radney Foster's mix of rock and reflection, "Half of My Mistakes" sounds like an instant classic, a celebration of how the missteps can lead you places you wouldn't have gone otherwise and make you who you are. Similarly, the closing "Never Gonna Fly" reinforces the sense that you can't reap rewards without taking some risks, that you have to stumble in order to soar. With a backing band including guitarist Waddy Wachtel and drummer Charley Drayton (who worked together on Keith Richards's solo albums), ace session bassist Bob Glaub, and Wallflowers keyboardist Rami Jaffe, Foster takes some chances here that don't always pay dividends. He pushes the cliché of the intoxicating kiss to the extreme on the Stones-ish opener, "Drunk on Love," while "The Kindness of Strangers" revisits the hooker with a heart of gold in less-than-convincing fashion. Dreamier fare such as "I Won't Lie to You" and "Fools That Dream" (with gorgeous vocal counterpoint from Kim Richey) shows the benefit of a lighter touch, and "Big Idea" just lets 'er rip.--Don McLeese