I didn’t know that there even were any London bluegrass allstars but it would appear that Foghorn Leghorn have been so for some twenty one years and “Not Before Time” is their third album. Perhaps wisely avoiding any appearance on the cover of their album – you can sense that Foghorn Leghorn wear dungarees throughout these 12 songs – these six earnest men pick and pluck their way to Kentucky rather than Kentish Town.
“Not Before Time”, as you might now imagine, is chock full of earnest reinventions of that classic bluegrass sound with the relentless banjo of Tim Kent making the case for authenticity in a particularly fervent manner. The individual songs don’t really matter here – although covering “Petersburg Gal” was a courageous move –as it is the overall feel that will sell this album to bluegrass fans.
To further damn with faint praise, Foghorn Leghorn are exactly the kind of band that you would find half way down the listings for any roots type summer festival.