“Wayward Path” - Duane Hoover
Photo Credit: Artist EPK
If you threw Buddy Holly’s glasses, Pete Townshend’s arm swing, and a fuzz pedal into a blender—then let it spin through decades of British and American rock history—you might just get Duane Hoover’s Wayward Path. But even then, you wouldn’t quite capture the full picture. Because what Hoover’s created here is more than homage—it’s a wired, whirlwind reinterpretation of musical DNA, spliced together with attitude, heart, and a healthy dose of wild-eyed obsession.
From the jump, Hoover makes it clear this isn’t a nostalgia trip—it’s a full-blown reanimation. He’s not polishing antiques; he’s taking them apart and rebuilding them into glittering, garage-rock Frankensteins. There’s reverence, sure, but there’s also a mischievous gleam in his eye—he likes blowing the dust off history with a few well-placed power chords.
The album kicks off with “Sorrow,” a track you’ve heard in various forms—from The Merseybeats to David Bowie. But Hoover’s version—it’s like someone dropped a lit match into a box of old 45s. The Keith Moon-esque drum fills, the windmill chords straight out of the Townsend playbook, and Hoover’s own layered harmonies crank the energy up to eleven. It’s barely two minutes, but it sounds like it could knock over a brick wall.
The first few tracks on Wayward Path are covers, but don’t let that fool you—these aren’t replays; they’re reinventions.
“Jennifer Juniper” is the biggest left turn of them all. Where Donovan gave us soft, whimsical poetry perfect for perfume ads, Hoover injects it with punk snarl and Who-sized bombast. Think safety pins through flower petals.
Then there’s “Go Away from My World,” a Marianne Faithful classic that Hoover drenches in psychedelic fog and shimmering harmonies, somewhere between Revolver-era Beatles and a fever dream.
Even as Hoover jumps from song to song, what unites them is a constant buzz of intent—a desire not to recreate, but to rewrite these musical legacies in his own buzzing, beautiful language.
Photo Credit: Artist EPK
The covers are wild fun, but Hoover’s originals are where his true vision comes into focus. He isn’t just borrowing riffs—he’s carving his own path through rock’s overgrown jungle.
“It’s a Different World” is a glorious mess of tumbling guitars, loose-limbed rhythm, and Nick Lowe-style pop charm—but don’t be fooled, there’s a punk sneer just under the surface.
On “Come On,” Hoover dabbles in subtle psychedelia, giving us a sugar-rush pop melody with just enough woozy weirdness to keep it interesting.
“Over the Years” mixes sunbeam harmonies with Yardbirds-level guitar jangle, turning something whimsical into something sneakily emotional.
And then there’s “All Over Again”—the closer, and a full-throttle declaration of everything Hoover is about. A touch of The Clash, a wallop of The Who, and a chaotic joy that feels like vintage rock but never once sounds like a copy.
What’s remarkable is how Hoover uses the past as a launching pad rather than a blueprint. He’s clearly studied the greats—Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly, The Kinks—but his genius is in how he reshapes their essence into something both familiar and ferociously his own.
Sure, Wayward Path has a crate-digger’s charm, but it’s also got a punk’s impatience with museum pieces. Hoover is on a mission, and that mission is to drag the best of the past kicking and screaming into the now, giving it grit, color, and new context.
Duane Hoover’s Wayward Path is the kind of album that feels like a found treasure from another time, but listen closer and you’ll realize it’s thrumming with the urgency of right now. It’s not just about remembering the past—it’s about reviving it, reshaping it, and most of all, having an absolute blast while doing it.
This record’s got teeth, guts, and a heart that beats in jangly guitar riffs and shouted choruses. It’s one of those albums that makes you want to play it loud, start a band, or at least dance around like a lunatic in your living room.
Hoover isn’t just walking a path—he’s tearing up the map and paving his own. And we’re here for the ride.
Wayward Path is available now on all major streaming platforms
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