Vintage Review: Will Hoge’s The America EP (2004)

Will Hoge is cursed to be an artist of some talent in an era where talent is in little demand. Two major label releases and constant touring earned Nashville’s rock ‘n’ roll ambassador a small if loyal following, but did little to break him through to a mainstream audience. I don’t know if Hoge’s major label deal is still in place, but I do know that the label did little or nothing from this scribe’s perspective to promote this promising young artist.

It is no exaggeration to say that Hoge’s The America EP is the most radical, most seditious, and most courageous musical statement that will be made this year. Forget about Steve Earle’s “revolution,” forget about punkvoter.com and Rock Against Bush – the five songs offered here by Hoge are a “state of the union” address delivered straight from the American heartland. That Hoge released the disc himself is no great surprise, considering that multi-national media corporations shy away from independent thought and the sort of artistic freedom represented by The America EP.

Will Hoge’s The America EP

In fact, Hoge did himself and his career no favor by taking a stand with these songs. After spending four years crossing the country in a van and talking to people where they played, Hoge and his band concluded that, “most hard-working Americans don’t feel they have a voice.” This epiphany led to the moment, says Hoge in the EP’s liner notes, “that’s when all of us realized that we had to make this record.” In doing so, Hoge has captured everything that those of us who love rock ‘n’ roll believed about the music in the first place – brash rebellion, the questioning of authority and, most importantly, championing the view of the “little guy.”

“Bible Vs. Gun” kicks off The America EP, a letter home from a soldier caught in the middle of a battle, his religious beliefs put to the test by this ultimate example of man’s inhumanity against man. In the midst of the violence, he sings, “I close my eyes and pull the trigger and kill these people I don’t even know.” He would gladly trade his gun for a Bible and the comfort of his faith. He asks his mother for forgiveness, praying he can still “get into heaven,” but the soldier’s fate is left up in the air as the song closes. Sparse instrumentation builds to a crescendo near the end, Hoge’s bluesy vocals soaring above the mix.

“The Other Side” is a Springsteen-esque tale of despair, an example of the extremes that people will go to when times are tight and there’s no work to be found. “The Other Side” of the song holds a clever double meaning, representing both the poor man’s vision of wealth and the people who enjoy “life on the other side” and the believer’s faith in the afterlife. This might be the best song that Springsteen never wrote, the protagonist a hard working man who makes one mistake, a desperate act committed in an attempt to improve his family’s life. The story is told from the perspective of the man’s son, who holds onto his father’s dream as he sinks into his own black pool of despair. Hoge’s plaintive vocals are accompanied by a martial drumbeat and gentle strings, creating a pastoral setting for an otherwise disturbing story-song.

The Times They Are A Changin’

The comedic “Hey Mr. President (Anyone But You)” is a roots-rock rave-up with tongue only partly in cheek. Addressed to a nameless President, Hoge points out the state of the economy, a war that is fought mainly by the poor and jobs that have gone to Mexico and concludes “anyone but you will do just fine.” Name checking John Kerry, Howard Dean, even Ray Charles, the song’s voice is that of dissatisfaction with the current administration. Hoge’s cover of Dylan’s “The Times They Are A Changin’” is aptly chosen and timely, the singer’s powerful acoustic performance sadly recalling another era and another war. Listening to it in the car the day that I bought this EP, I found Hoge’s passion and commitment to the song to be energizing and inspirational, underlining the need to enact “regime change” in America.

The America EP closes with the powerful “America,” an anthemic rocker with raging guitars and angry vocals. The song tells the story of an American soldier stationed in a nameless land, fighting a battle where “I’m not sure what I believe in, but I do things I can’t take back.” As for his mission, the soldier concludes, “Is it for freedom or oil or money/It makes no difference either way/It’s just my job, I keep my head down/And hope I make it home someday.”

The soldier returns home alive with a Purple Heart but can find no job, he’s lost his family, and the nightmare of war overwhelm his attempts to sleep. “I fight these battles still waging in my head.” The guitars scream and Hoge’s anguished vocals cry “America, oh what can I do/America, I gave it all away for you,” highlighting the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform. It is a truly transcendent musical moment, proof that you can support our soldiers while still questioning the President’s (dubious) reasons for going to war. Perhaps unconsciously, Hoge’s words seem horribly prescient. Undoubtedly thousands of American soldiers will return home from Iraq during the next few years to find themselves impoverished, homeless and trying to live with the horrors that they have seen and experienced.

The Reverend’s Bottom Line

Hoge’s The America EP is a minor masterpiece, perhaps the most important example of rock ‘n’ roll patriotism that has ever been recorded. It’s unlikely that Hoge could have released these songs under the sponsorship of a major label. The America EP is illustrative of the freedom and potential of taking music out of the hands of focus groups and putting it back in the hands of the artists. That few people may hear this material is beside the point and quite irrelevant. The important thing is that these songs were recorded in the first place, put out there in the world for people to discover. I salute Will Hoge for taking a stand, and you should, too. (self-released, 2004)

Review originally published by Alt.Culture.Guide™ zine