Memories And Empties

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You’d be forgiven if you thought Colter Wall hailed from a bygone era. His gruff baritone alone is enough to make Wall an outlier in contemporary country music, while song titles like “It’s Getting So (That a Man Can’t Go into Town Just to Have Him a Drink)” read like the vintage-tinged musings of a truly old soul. On his fifth studio album, the Saskatchewan-born singer-songwriter takes an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach to his beloved sound, leaning into the classic country influences that first earned him a cult following. As such, Wall and co-producer/touring guitarist Pat Lyons set up shop at famed Nashville recording outpost RCA Studio A, seeking to connect to the space’s long history of hosting country icons like Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. There are honky-tonkers galore, like the winking opening track “1800 Miles,” a tough-guy two-step on which Wall asserts, “I don’t know what you think you’ve been told/If I ever was for sale, I’ve never sold,” and the juke joint lament “Living by the Hour.” Softer moments like the Bill Callahan-esque ballad “My Present Just Gets Past Me” are equally striking, showcasing Wall’s range as not just a celebrated vocalist but a compelling storyteller.

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

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