Colter Wall puts his mission statement (with a touch of irony) right there in his opening track. New album Memories and Empties begins with “1800 Miles,” noting the distance between Wall’s Saskatchewan home and Nashville. The singer’s about as country as it gets, but he often seems relatively untouched by Music Row. With Memories and Empties, he looks into a more traditional and radio-friendly sound, but only in his own way, still eschewing most of this century’s country music even as he moves himself off the plains.
With “1800 Miles,” Wall offers an honest self-appraisal of his artistry. There’s no flash; there’s nothing commercial. There are no “rhinestone clothes” or any adherence to subculture roles. That’s been true throughout his…