If anyoneโs still wondering whether the past can sound brand new, Duane Hooverโs Wayward Path settles it with a grin and a guitar twang. Hoover pays tribute to the โ60s British Invasion, the wild-eyed punk of the late โ70s and picks up the best parts, twisting them up, and launching them right into 2025. Wayward Path is part original, part loving reinvention, but every inch of it feels stitched together by Hooverโs crackling energy and wild fun. Right from the jump, โSorrowโ hits like a sunbeam at full speed, a surge of jangling guitars, Keith Moon-style drum rolls, and Pete Townshend power chords. Hooverโs high, soaring vocals give it a shot of fresh blood while still tipping his hat to the Merseybeats and Bowie versions he grew up admiring.
The title track, โWayward Path,โ sparkles with rumbling drums and shimmering guitars, as Hooverโs relaxed, storytelling voice carries you down some nostalgic, winding road. And โOver the Yearsโ softens the edges even more, a vulnerable narrative wrapped in whimsical โla-la-laโs and sweet Yardbirds-esque harmonies. Even when heโs tackling coversโlike the warm, thumping โWishing Wellโ or the twinkling pop of โItโs Cold Outside,โ Hoover reimagines, roughs them up a little, shines them in new colors. By the time he ends on a cow-punk punch with Buddy Hollyโs โFoolโs Paradise,โ you can tell heโs pulling these songs into his own orbit.
Wayward Path could have been just another nostalgia trip, but Hooverโs flexible creativity and fearless heart make it a vibrant, living conversation between then and now. Check it out on Spotify.
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Review by: Naomi Joan