Frank Foster - 'Til I'm Gone (2018)

Frank Foster shouts out John Mellencamp on "Something Bout Being Free," the second song on Til I'm Gone, his seventh album and fourth for Lone Chief Records. He didn't need to explicitly mention Mellencamp to make his connection to heartland rock apparent. Like Kip Moore, Frank Foster draws heavily from the big-hearted, big-sounding Midwestern rock of the 1980s, but Foster cleverly cuts these pumping, pounding anthems with a straight dose of outlaw country and Hank Jr., an aesthetic that ties him to tradition while giving him freedom to roam. Foster seizes that opportunity, diving into funky rhythms on "About the Beer," one of a trio of drinking songs at the heart of 'Til I'm Gone. These three tunes show Foster's range, writing -- and singing -- with humor and heart, the kind of thing that gives this straight-ahead album palpable soul.