Some songs acknowledge tough experiences, and others realize why going through them is important. That is certainly true of Aric Coyote’s “Empty Lands.” The fourth single from the all-American rocker and singer-songwriter from Northern California emerges as a warm, poetic composition about difficulty, endurance, hope, and the chance of finding something significant on the other side of hardship.
“Empty Lands” does not flinch from pain. Rather, its emotional character embraces the hard parts of life as being part of life itself, while encouraging forward mobility. Persistence is the main message of the song: moving through the blank spaces of life might eventually lead you to your destiny and love.
On a musical level, Coyote creates a universe that is both familiar and vast. The track is built on acoustic and electric guitars, and sweet, soulful vocals warm the performance. Some horns and percussion add texture to this piece, the light rhythms helping keep it in the cozy realm till it slowly opens into a crescendo that celebrates endurance.
This evolution gives “Empty Lands” a very human quality. It begins with a point of reflection, but doesn't stay there. There is movement in the arrangement that reflects the song's message of continuing the voyage even when the path ahead seems uncertain.