AF

Following on from my review of the recent Andrew Foster gig over the weekend, I thought I should also turn my attention to the excellent debut album from him to give a better idea as to why you should purchase his album Science & Magic if the live review was not enough persuasion.

The album showcases Andrew’s vocal and guitar talents beautifully, with a mixture of songs from the anthemic to the haunting, there is everything on this album to make you take notice and listen.

The album starts with In Our Galaxy, a gentle introduction to the album with beautiful harmonies that draw the listener into the album in an almost comforting way. Which leads into Memory Maze, more uplifting with a catchy chorus that you find yourself singing along to, it brings to the fore the skills Andrew shows when playing the guitar.

Dreamscape, the third track on the album starts with an electro-sounding beat running in the background before progressing into a hypnotic pop sound, the vocals in perfect harmony with the very catchy beat running thought out the whole song. Personal Legend has slightly huskier vocals which suits a more rockier sound than the previous tracks and still has the ability to grab your attention.

The Garden again changes the album style, slightly reminiscent of the slightly psychedelic era of Led Zeppelin and certainly a song that Robert Plant wishes he had written but also is fresh and modern, bringing to the fore again the beautiful sound of the guitar Andrew plays so well. Modern Day Messiah is a quirky and catchy tune, pared back compared to some of the other tracks and it is this simplicity that works really well.

Heartbeats doesn’t just play next, it arrives full on and in your face! A foot-tapping beat from the start, very catchy verses and a massive chorus this is the single every songwriter wishes they had as their number one single. It’s the ultimate feel good track and the biggest earworm of the whole album, you will wake up with this track in your head.

Make Believe follows on perfectly from Heartbeats as it is still very upbeat and again has that really catchy chorus Andrew is so very good at, a big sound that suits his voice so very well as the vocals are also very powerful on this track. Then comes the beautiful and haunting Interstellar, and the almost fragile and exposed vocals with just an acoustic guitar would melt the heart of even the most hardened.

Eyes to the Sky lifts the tempo but only slightly and once again it is a song that is just about the vocals and the guitar, a more gentle sound compared to some of the other songs but still draws you into the song. Sea Of Thought picks up the tempo once more and once again the album changes direction, a pop tinged medley which brings out the change of vocal style perfectly, with a nice little sample at the end.

Something To Believe In for me is slightly reminiscent of something between Oasis and The Beatles but with Andrew’s own style on it, a slightly slower start opens up into a magical range of sound as the song progresses. The closing track on the album is Centre Straight Atom which ends the album perfectly and gives you a final chance to once again to hear those mesmerising vocals and guitar.

It is one of those rare albums where you can listen to it many times and still discover something new the next time you listen to it. With the quality of all the songs on Science & Magic it won’t be long before the talent of Andrew Foster is discovered by far more people. However this is an album that you need to hear and not just read about so now is the time to get a copy.

Science & Magic is available on download from iTunes, Spotify and Amazon MP3 or you can contact Andrew Foster personally for a copy of the CD via his website http://www.andrewfostermusic.co.uk, Facebook or twitter @andyfostermusic