Reviewed by Paul S Ganney

It's not every day I get a CD to review that I'd just walked past in HMV so I was interested in what music the so-gifted Irishman is making these days. (Older Cross Rhythms radio listeners will remember that his "Gabriel And The Vagabond" classic received much airplay back in 2007). Now of course things are on the rise for Foy and his recent tour with Elton John can only have helped alert more people to his finely crafted songs. 'The Wild Swan' was recorded in Nashville with Tom Waits' producer and released on Ed Sheeran's Gingerbread Man label. Quality-wise, it doesn't disappoint. It's expertly written, played and recorded. It drips with Southern charm - "blues" was the best I could find as a category to place it in. It has a sliver of Richard Hawley (especially on the wonderfully-named "Noam Chomsky Is A Soft Revolution"), hints of Dr John ("Upbeat Feelgood"), echoes of Hothouse Flowers ("Fire It Up"), memories of Van Morrison ("Be Like You Belong") and a nod towards the Eagles ("Unlike Any Other") [Hothouse Flowers and Van Morrison are the strongest overall]. All this is without losing its own identity: the tracks all feel like they belong together. They are not a set of cultural references gathered together, but a single work of art. It cruises along nicely without really breaking into a full-on sweat but the quality of his songwriting comes through and "Noam Chomsky Is A Soft Revolution" and "Casanova" have been chosen for the latest Cross Rhythms playlist.

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