Andrew Leahey of AllMusic writes that Will Hoge was, "touring America's smoky barroom circuit, inciting his audiences to alternately weep into their whiskeys and hit the dancefloor."

and that, "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 only seem to muster several years into their post-TV career.

He’s survived numerous changes in band personnel common to any act that puts in over 200 nights a year on the road for a minimal wage, as well a major label contract debacle.

"[5] Alternative Addiction writes, "In his latest effort Draw the Curtains, his blues/soul influences are at the forefront (Cocker, Redding), but there’s an element of southern-pop, almost country on this disc that’s best compared to Bob Seger and that really stands out.

He could mean the end of an act, signaling the house lights to rise and the brooms to start their work, or maybe just the opposite—pulling the curtains open to let the sunshine in for a new day’s dawn.