First Listen: Colter Wall, Ashley Cooke, Muscadine Bloodline and the Country Albums You Need To Hear This Week

Three stand out country records for you this week folks.

Colter Wall returns with his much anticipated fifth studio album, Memories and Empties, Ashley Cooke gifts us a brand new project that captures the tumultuous year she has been through and Muscadine casually drop an album of the year contender.

It's all very exciting as we near the year's end, and who knows what exciting things we can expect in 2026.

After listening to all of this week's new releases, the Holler staff have their say:

An authentic artist in a sea of shallow waters and even shallower personalities, Colter Wall's expertly crafted sound brings the listener into the places where his memories are made. Sitting between the rejection of mainstream Nashville on ‘1800 Miles’ and a cover of the blue-collar anthem ‘Summer Wages’, Wall has situated himself confidently in his own world. Between those two bold statements is a collection that could only come from a headstrong and heart-first comfort in the independence he’s cultivated.

Memories and Empties goes beyond accepting the mundane generality of the everyday. Instead, he recognises the beauty in his everyday. On ‘Living By the Hour’, Wall reckons with the lack of power we truly have over normality, when there’s always a chance of bad luck being thrown our way, all you can really do is start it with a cup of coffee and take it an hour at a time. The quiet genius of lyrics like “they can go from picking stones to picking flowers” is what we gravitate towards artists like Wall for - there’s a universality in his sentiments.

As the album moves into ‘4/4 Time’, Wall takes us just a little deeper into the sacred world his words are penned in. “How could I try now to tell a tale/ When the sky tells three each morning,” even a songwriter as talented as Wall seemingly struggles to find the words to describe the magnificence of the land. As he ties in a comparison to the divine - one that he himself believes is a step too far - he positions music as being the only thing great enough to balance against the plains and the prairies: “I shouldn’t be comparing his handywork with mine/ But I hope the Lord don’t mind 4/4 time”. Somehow even a distant church organ in the background manages to stay away from cliche.

Although Wall’s previous releases have led us to think most of his drinks are accompanied by laments and slow-paced longings, Memories and Empties feels like it contains a much wider range of emotions, occasionally even leaning into love and whimsy. The upbeat track ‘Like The Hills’ is bound to become one of the singer’s biggest tracks, he sings of a love that withstands every season and leaves the hook of “Keep on giving all your love/ I’ll give you my last name” firmly imprinted on the minds of his listeners. ‘It’s Getting So’ is decorated with tight fiddle licks, harmonica melodies and a two-stepping bassline - it’s straight out of a honkytonk, and in the world of country music there aren’t many places where more memories are made and more bottles are emptied.

Maybe Wall said it best himself, “like the old timers say, like the hills we’ll remain”. Whatever happens in the wider world of country music, we can always turn to the Canadian cowboy for a dose of the classic. On ‘Memories and Empties’, he’s not leaving any room for interpretation: for many, it’s music that keeps us going.

Rating: 8.5/10

On ace, Ashley Cooke isn’t just telling stories, she’s growing up in real time.

The album feels like flipping through a journal she’s kept since her early teens; pages filled with first loves, small heartbreaks, the ache of getting older, and the quiet ways life changes when you’re still figuring out who you are.

Songs like 'gettin’ old' capture that emotional toll with an easy, conversational honesty, while the love songs glow with that unmistakable spark; the kind born from unspoken looks and the moments you don’t realize matter until later.

Sonically, ace sits right at the intersection of modern country and breezy pop-leaning storytelling. Cooke balances a familiar, comforting country sound with a style that feels built for listeners who don’t always lean into the genre. These are upbeat ballads designed to go down easy, lifted by a cadence that makes every lyric feel lived-in. It’s the kind of album you can let play straight through without skipping, not because it’s simple, but because it feels true.

'excuses' is the undeniable smash in its sharp, melodic sound that is radio-ready to its core. Throughout the record, Cooke’s tone stays unmistakably her own, but it’s songs like 'tin foil hat (panic attack)' that hits the deepest, laying out the vulnerability of young womanhood with unflinching clarity - that quiet feeling of betrayal when you see the truth long before you say it out loud. It’s one of her finest vocal and emotional performances yet.

With ace, Ashley Cooke solidifies her sound, her perspective, and her place in the next wave of country storytellers. It’s youthful, heartfelt, and sure of itself; a project that understands the beauty in growing up, even when it hurts.

Rating: 9/10

For nearly a decade, Muscadine Bloodline have delivered an irresistible strain of country music, soulfully rooted in their Alabamian heritage.

With last year’s The Coastal Plain, the duo seemed to tap into new creative energy through a collection of songs inspired by the blue-collar blend of their coastal hometown—a place where they once ran wild and free as children.

That momentum sparked an ambitious goal to release two new records in 2025. The first, …And What Was Left Behind, served as a companion to The Coastal Plain, brimming with tales of heartbreak and revenge. Now, keeping their promise, the pair return with their second album of the year, Longleaf Lo-fi.

On Longleaf Lo-fi, Charlie Muncaster and Gary Stanton stand firmly on the sonic path they have carved through their past work, fully extending the qualities that continue to set them apart from the country mainstream. Like a forgotten photograph, the eleven-song collection is lyrically vibrant and rich, with textured orchestration that unearths buried emotion and pulses with a deep, lived-in understanding. What remains most resonant, however, are the harmonies—unlike any others offered by duos today. Neither voice ever competes; instead, they intertwine seamlessly, adding tonal depth that fully captures the heart of every story they tell.

Beaming with pride, the wholesome tenderness of ‘My Meridian’ reflects not only the steadfast bond between partners but also an unbreakable connection to the Magnolia State itself. Its fervent chorus glows with pure light, weaving love and place together in perfect balance. The burn of ‘The Arsonist’ churns with irresistible desire, revealing the delightful wreckage of a love that is “wild with wonder.”

Yet it is the quieter moments that deliver the most heart-wrenching truths. The slow waltz of ‘59’ sways like a late-night conversation between lovers, uncovering small-town revelations about gratitude and humble beginnings. Similarly, the stripped-back sincerity of ‘You Will Be Loved’ captures the overwhelming tenderness of new parenthood, brushing aside life’s uncertainties to focus on the inevitable: love.

On the whole, this collection stands as a testament to finding, keeping, and above all, honoring love itself. It serves as a timely reminder that in a divided world, we must hold our loved ones closer and never let unspoken truths go unheard.

Rating: 9/10

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For more on this week's artists, see below: