Will Hoge - Number Seven

Will Hoge has made a career of writing and singing powerful songs — his career has blended magnificent collections of rock, country, soul, blues and folk tunes. Now he comes forth with Number Seven, the seventh studio LP of his career, and the lucky number tattooed on his arm. Its 11 songs survey the struggles of the heart that are Hoge's songwriting stock-in-trade while revealing enticing range and freshness on the sonic front. In places it leans folky-twangy, in others, it's stridently loud and large, with layered, goose-bumpy guitar textures. Acting as his own producer for the first time, Will says this album feels truer to his personal vision than any he's made. Yes, artists say that all the time, but the confluence of events in Hoge's life and career, plus his sheer believability, make this the first and most compelling endorsement of the many that are sure to follow.