American Made

Album review

On Gary Hoey's American Made, the guitarist's talent is once again confirmed as he tackles everything from blues to prog rock to metal. He has the most success when he lets his guitar do his talking for him, not because his voice is unpleasant; on the contrary, Hoey can master multiple styles vocally, but his guitar playing trumps his other talents (especially on "Gonzo Guru") and really deserves center stage. Hoey gives an edge to the Tom Cochrane and Red Rider one-time minor progressive rock hit "Lunatic Fringe" and takes his solos to beautiful new levels on the instrumental tracks, "Tribal Mania" and "The Deep." Hoey loses speed with the sappy adult pop/rock ballad "Fades Away," but the tempo picks right back up with rest of the album. His lyrics aren't always the most thought-provoking ("I was hit by a Mack truck/I was runnin' out of bad luck/I was left by the roadside/A swift kick to my backside"), and while they are often predictable, they are seldom boring. Hoey is capable of taking on all kinds of popular music and his guitar playing is impeccable on American Made, an album that makes him stand out more than many of his previous releases have done.

© Megan Frye /TiVo