New EP from Columbia's Anthony Wilkerson transmits classic country in 4 easy pieces

We treat the words "classic" and "past-tense" as synonyms. Anthony Wilkerson proves that's not necessarily true.

The Columbia singer-songwriter translates timeless properties of country music into the present, making the best of the time he's been given on the new EP "ThreeThirtySix." Original songs and canonical ballads share the space, bearing the resemblance of siblings.

Wilkerson's approach comes through loud and clear with the opening notes of "Love Like Hers." Against a midtempo country gait, he introduces himself: "Well hello, they call me the king here in this bar."

With each passing measure, the narrator both furthers his story and complicates it, turning the song into something like a prayer, the plea of a juke-joint Job.

"Why do you send me honky-tonk angels / That would fly away?" he croons.

Each note resonates simply, deeply, and the small details matter — like the spoken cue preceding the first chorus; Wilkerson's words here might sound like an aside, but they move the song along with an amazing, aching grace.

Next, Wilkerson offers a pitch-perfect reading of the Tom T. Hall standard "That's How I Got to Memphis." With his weary, weathered baritone and effortless country cool, he might be transmitting his sound from 1970 or the barstool next to yours.

An acoustic strum invites listeners into "Finally Fine," with distant mandolin figures warming and opening the sound. Wilkerson's narrator offers a rare musical mea culpa, lending listeners a lens through which to see both their own someday sins and a path to clarity:

"If you knew me when I was younger / Then I apologize / For anything that I said / When I thought I was right."

Sunday-morning sort country soul sets up a refreshing take on "Sixteen Tons," that deceptively devastating worksong. Wilkerson again invests this classic closer with proper reverence, while sounding like he just blew in through the front door, bone-tired from another long shift.

In these four easy pieces, Wilkerson reminds us of his remarkable voice: both the physical instrument and an artistic sense that reaches back to the moments which came before, and forward to the right here, right now.

Learn more about Wilkerson's music at https://www.anthonywilkerson.com/.

Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731. He's on Twitter/X @aarikdanielsen.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Columbia's Anthony Wilkerson transmits classic country in 4 easy pieces