Number Seven (Deluxe Version)

If it ain't broke, Will Hoge ain't gonna fix it. Number Seven takes most of its cues from the six albums before it, pairing grizzled country-rockers with the occasional world-weary ballad. In an effort to turn over at least one new leaf, Hoge tackles bigger issues than his love life on a handful of tracks, imagining himself as an immigrant under arrest for crossing "The Illegal Line," and a down-in-the-dumps homeless man reflecting upon his broken "American Dream." Most of the time, though, the lyrics trace his own history as a troubadour of the American bar circuit, meaning there are a lot of faithless women, beer drinking, and highway driving throughout these 11 songs. The most convincing part of the package is Hoge's voice —- a white-soul baritone with enough husk and grit to warrant the blues clichés that occasionally surface in his melodies —- and his band provides appropriate backdrops throughout, texturing the rock songs with layered Telecaster guitars and polishing the ballads with smooth pedal steel. Those who criticize heartland rockers like Bruce Springsteen for being too overzealous will have similar complaints about Number Seven, which is anthemic in the same sort of chest-thumping, roadworn way, but these songs hold their own against some of Hoge's best work.