Released in February 2013, American Hill is an Americana rock album through and through. Cogley has teamed up with Brooklyn guitarist Steve Elliot, bassist Tim Luntzel (who regularly plays with Rosanne Cash), Tony Leone (drummer and member of Ollabelle), and keyboardist JC Hopkins, who also produced the record. Cogley’s voice is instantly recognizable, and combined with his varying influences and life experience, makes for an impressive and solid debut. American Hill features 11 songs all written by Cogley, with the exception of “One Cold Winter Day” which is a cover of a Blind Willie McTell track. Lyrically, Cogley is right on the money; his writing feels very real and offers an emotive edge, which is such an important part of the soul of Americana. The album tells a story of a life lived, and Cogley is simply sharing this life with us. Musically, the album is solid – the band work well together and the production stays true to the lyrical and musical content, never sounding overproduced or flashy. It’s very simple and effective, for this reason. With American Hill, Cogley has crafted an album that will appeal to a wide range of listeners. It is accessible, honest and true. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.