It would be hard to classify Will Hoge’s new album, The Wreckage, as a comeback. While it is his first release after the scooter accident that left him in critical condition a year ago this month, he hadn’t really gone anywhere since his last album in 2007.But it’s also difficult to listen to the opening flourishes of “Hard to Love,” the album’s first track, without thinking “Wow, Will’s back.”
With The Wreckage, available now on vinyl and available September 29 via CD and digital download, Hoge seems to have tapped into a vein that runs deep within and the end result is without a doubt his most honest, true-to-self release to date.
As with most artists, there has been a gradual shift in Hoge’s songwriting and recording over the past decade, but listening to tracks like “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” and “Highway Wings,” you get the feeling that this is where he was meant to end up.
That isn’t to say the album is without its influences. Tinges of Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty can be heard throughout, but make no mistake that this album is his own.
Simply put, I love this album. "Hard to Love" has been stuck in my head for a day and a half. "Favorite Waste of Time" is the perfect, brooding love/hate song. And throughout The Wreckage, Hoge does the thing he does best—telling stories of love and loss, heartache and perseverance.
Ten years after striking out on his own as a solo artist, if this is where Hoge finds himself today, I can't wait to see what the next decade brings.
Will Hoge will play Cat’s Cradle on Saturday, October 3, for his first Triangle-area performance in over a year. Tickets are available now for $10 via etix. He will also play Wilmington’s Soapbox Lounge on Friday, September 4. Click here for more upcoming tour dates.
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