Having flirted with, and tasted, success as one half of the duo Foster and Lloyd, then again as a solo act, Radney Foster is once again poised to climb the country music status ladder. With his second Arista release, Labor Of Love Foster again returns to the basics, weaving intricate stories with simple words and music (Foster had a hand in writing all 12 songs on the album).
   Labor Of Love will surely spawn at least four singles, including the wistful "Willin' To Walk." But the album's greatest asset is as a showcase of Foster's songwriting talents.
   The title cut and first release from the album, "Labor Of Love," builds on the success of Del Rio, TX 1959, Foster's 1993 debut effort. "Labor Of Love" captures the essence of what it takes to make a relationship work with its brutally truthful prescription for a successful partnership of love.
   "Everybody Gets The Blues," one of two Foster/George Ducas- penned cuts, and "Broke Down," co-written with Gary Nicholson, stand out as gems of traditional honky-tonk style that define the strengths of Foster's talent.
   With Labor Of Love, Foster has laid a course that serves to guarantee career longevity.

-Charlton Wiggins