From the first measure of Colter Wall’s new album, Memories and Empties,something feels different. Against the resolute opening track “1800 Miles,” Wall's full-bellied baritone seems to have a newfound intensity. His strings are even richer; the pedal steel, more vivid; the rhythms, somehow punchier. With each passing track, it becomes evident something within has been unleashed.
Of the artists that have defined the country genre for the 21st century, there hasn’t been a more steadfast figure than Wall. From the bull-throated 20-something that first perked ears with 2015’s Imaginary Appalachia, to the unyielding plainsman that last waltzed across Little Songs in 2023, the Canadian balladeer carved out a lane for himself early on and has stuck to it.
