Real Life Rock 'n' Roll

The Man Who Killed Love (Independent)

Will Hoge

By Cricket Bidwell

Jumping right into a rollicking song about the trials of life on the road with "Pocket Full of Change," Will Hoge gives his fans another album packed with his powerhouse vocals and all-American rock 'n' roll.

Hoge sings it like he sees it, no worn-out clichés or pre-packaged radio-ready formulas heard here. "Wait 'Til Your Daddy Gets Home" is an unusual take on missing the one you love while working on the road, with fantastic backing vocals by Trina Meade and Erica Smith. Smith and Meade lend their considerable voices to another track, "Love From a Scar," about the futility of holding on to something that's gone.

"Lover Tonight" switches gears - it's a melancholy ballad on which Hoge uses his Otis Redding-like voice to relay a heart-wrenching story of the closing of a relationship: "When all of your cards are played/Maybe we should just walk away."

Others have said that Hoge is early Springsteen, vintage Mellencamp and has the Rolling Stones "swagger," and while all of these may be true in a sense, Hoge is singular in bringing the heart, rhythm and soul back to rock 'n' roll music. His live shows are a showcase of the genre, a tribute to all those who created the sounds of down-and-dirty, blue-collar, of-the-people American rock like no other out there today.

Honestly, just reading the song titles are enough to interest anyone with an imagination; "Hearts are Gonna Roll," "The More That I Know (The Less I Like You)," and "The Man Who Killed Love" should catch the eye pretty well.

Just wait until it hits your ears.

Groove over to www.willhoge.com to find out more.