51bnoHMVCAL._SS500A large part of the world of American country and western music owes something to this singer, a pure storyteller born in California, but who grew up musically in the shadows of the Lone Star State. Classic Texas troubadour of the past, Chris Wall has learned, from various artists such as Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard, the difficult art of reaching out to the hearts of people with simple songs, but at the same time, with great evocative ability. His is not the loud type of music, often he does acoustic sessions or so, always managing to tell stories of a deep emotional impact. Stories about cowboys engaged in the daily difficulties and characters and situations that we could easily find in the stories of Hemingway or Faulkner. Wall’s music reflects a philosophy of life and a way of being. In fact, in this “El Western Motel”, the most prominent feature is the very human and artistic maturity that is heard in all the 12 tracks of the Cd. All written by Chris himself, the songs of “El Western Motel” are a disenchanted portrait of the modern day West, poetically interpreted in a way that only great music can express. Dry sounds, precise, very traditional, thanks to the presence of valuable musicians such as Llyod Maines (who is also the producer of the album), Cody Braun (Reckless Kelly), Merel Bregante and Sarah Pierce, who make “El Western Motel”, an album that captures the true spirit of country music, with no compromise. C.W’s seventh overall album, and first one in the last decade, this Cd also includes the participation of Dale Watson in “Blue For The Big Highway”, “Hello” and “I’m An Old Country Song”, a singer, who from the musical point of view, has an extraordinary affinity with Wall. Let me conclude this review with a short note on which, of all the songs on the Cd, seems to me to be the most autobiographical. “Silver Hair and Silver Wings”, with this song it seems as though he wants to remind us that despite the years have passed, the passion for music and the desire to tell great stories still remain. Austin, Texas, and the world of country music thanks and greets with joy, the return of Chris Wall. (Gianluca Sitta)