Will Hoge Tiny Little Movies (CD)

(Edlo Records) 11 tracks, digisleeve

The Grammy-nominated artist has toured with Jason Isbell, ZZ Top, Shinedown and others. For two decades, Will Hoge has carried the torch for American rock 'n' roll, carving his own blue-collar sound based on amplified guitars, melodic hooks, Southern soul and rootsy stomp. It's a sound reminiscent of the good old days - the punch of Tom Petty's anthems, the country twang of Buck Owens' vocals, the raw, fat cool of the Rolling Stones - with Hoge's stories and larger-than-life voice leading the current, even political charge. Maybe that's why Tiny Little Movies, his eleventh album, feels so cinematic.

Recorded with Hoge's gang, the album brims with the electric energy that powers his shows. These are songs for highways, hotels, the heartland and those all-too-brief moments at home, held together by self-reflective lyrics in which Hoge makes peace with life, love and the long road that leads to success.