by Andrew LeaheyIn early 2006, Americans were captivated by the Southern soul croonings of Taylor Hicks, a modern-day bluesman who rose to fame via the well-oiled American Idol machine. Meanwhile, the similarly styled Will Hoge was busy touring America's smoky barroom circuit, inciting his audiences to alternately weep into their whiskeys and hit the dancefloor. It was a routine that the Nashville-based artist was used to, having left the Atlantic Records roster several years prior to pursue life as an independent road warrior. Back-to-back nights of sweaty performances can wreck hell on a singer's voice, but Hoge's schedule only seemed to have seasoned his throaty pipes. Perhaps that's why his first offering on the Rykodisc label, Draw the Curtains, boasts the sort of informed authenticity that American Idol finalists can't seem to muster until years into their post-TV career. It's an album of countrified, bloodshot-eyed soul -- a difficult genre to execute, to be sure, but one that Hoge undoubtedly nails. In a digital world of ProTools and auto-tuning, he stands out as someone whose vocals don't need much -- if any -- tweaking. They crack on cue and climb the treble clef like mere scaffolding, channeling Otis Redding one moment before veering into Joe Cocker territory the next. "Barroom fights and breaking glass, broken nose and a smoker's laugh; I'm sure I probably cut my life in half," Hoge sings on "The Highway's Home," a hint of vibrato coloring his biographical lyrics. The track is one of Curtains' most overtly country numbers, complete with pedal steel guitar and a midtempo gait, but its rawness is still a far cry from the spit-shine polish of most Nashville products. Where Hoge truly sets himself apart from those hometown contemporaries, however, is the album's early half -- specifically "When I Can Afford to Lose," "Dirty Little War," and "Silver or Gold," all of which revel in the sort of barroom-born, soulful rock & roll that's tailor-made for heartaches and hangovers. Hoge's second record contract may put him back in the big leagues, but his heart still rests in the concert venues and watering holes that have housed him over the years. Thank God for that.