Album Review : Will Hoge : #7

Feb 22, 2012 Album Reviews
Posted by Adam

I’m still trying to get through some of my favorite releases from late last year. Today I will tackle Will Hoge’s latest, #7. Appropriately titled, as it is his seventh studio release, The album came out last September.

I always look forward to Hoge’s albums with a great deal of anticipation. I jumped on the bandwagon when The Man Who Killed Love came out. #7 continues to showcase Will’s amazing vocal talent and stays firmly in the rock/country/soul format that he is known for. His voice has elements of Otis Redding, Chris Robinson and Tom Petty all rolled into one. He is my favorite vocalist in the Americana scene, there seems to be no song style or subject matter that he cannot handle with grace and feeling.

This record is put together well, it has a little bit of everything that Hoge can offer and his backing band is top notch. My only complaint is that it doesn’t have the balls out rocker that some of his other records have had. I think that Hoge’s ability as a songwriter has grown leaps and bounds starting with 2007′s Draw the Curtains and this album continues on in that matter. Hoge doesn’t hold back and hide behind metaphors, he just allows the story of the songs stand out front and center in an elegant but not pretentious way.

“American Dream”, a folk ballad of sorts, tells the story of a homeless man that is looking back at his life and noting the points that his American Dream went off the rails. The man does not think that the world owes him anything, as he is resigned to his current state.

Another fine song on this one is “No Man’s Land”. This song showcases Will’s talent for writing a poppy rock song that sticks in your head without annoying the shit of you. The tale of mismatched couple where the man is always finding the perfect way to shove is foot firmly in his mouth, bounces around my head constantly for days after hearing it.

“Illegal Line” follows a Mexican construction worker as he sneaks across the border in search of a better life for himself and his family back home. It chronicles his struggles making a go at it until eventually he ends up arrested and incarcerated for simply trying to provide for his family. It’s a story we’ve all seen in the news, or if you live close to the border in your hometown.

The standout on the record for me is “When I Get My Wings”. Hoge said during his debut at the Grand Ole Opry, that he got the inspiration for the song  after reading a story of husband burying his wife after 57 years of marriage. The soul side of Hoge shines in this one as he sings from the man’s point of view about his longing to join his beloved on the other side. The emotion the he conveys in this song makes you believe he is that man, and the feelings of loss are his.

Overall, I am very satisfied with #7 and think it stands up quite well to the rest of records in his catalog. As long as Will Hoge continues to put out albums that are this good, I will continue to anxiously await the next one down the line. I have yet to experience him live (a show I had tickets for with Jason Isbell was cancelled due to weather) but I’m sure these songs will fall in line with the great show that he is known for putting on.

Head over to WillHoge.com to check out this and more from Mr. Hoge.

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