Album Review – American Aquarium’s “Lamentations”
B.J. Barham is one insufferable son-of-a-bitch. The frontman and final original member of North Carolina’s American Aquarium has run off a quarter hundred fellow bandmates over the years for one reason or another. And as an opinionated, cantankerous, politically acrimonious type of character with his glass perennially half empty, his mopey moanings make for some of the most depressingly severe musings to be found in all of American music. It just happens to be that it’s this very type of bad medicine many are looking for.
Barham was never pretty enough for Nashville, and his natural songwriting chops couldn’t compete with his heroes like Jason Isbell or Ben Nichols. But he guts it out, taking a blue-collar attitude and work ethic to his craft, spilling blood on legal pads until the right words coagulate like scabs over scar tissue, while the dogs, the dregs, and the left behinds of society pump their fists in approval. B.J. is an anti-star if there ever was one, and has shouted and clawed his way to a place on the short list of many people’s favorite modern songwriters.
Teaming with Shooter Jennings as producer, B.J. and American Aquarium capture Lamentations as a postscript to the broken American Dream, sent through the filter of a Southern perspective, and stamped into 10 songs that are sure to compel your consideration, and for some, draw a measure of scrutiny. As always, singing to the other half and the left behinds means the emotions are raw and the stories are real, with lessons aplenty when you take the time to unpeel the rind and savor the meanings.
Some will love to label this record as a political work, and a rebuke of Trump’s white America. While it’s most certainly true that B.J. is not afraid of wading into political waters and doing rigorous butterfly strokes toward the left direction, he always weighs the perspectives of those swimming the opposite way as well, mindful that many of them make up the meat and potatoes of his audience. His opinions are his, but if anyone is most spoken to on Lamentations, it’s those forgotten in the middle by both ideologies, as is sung about in the opening song. The balance of perspective he brings to his music is something certain other songwriters in the Americana realm could learn from. B.J.’s Barham’s judgements can be severe. But nobody is judged more severely in an American Aquarium song than B.J. Barham himself.
That is really what should be taken away from Lamentations. “Six Years Come September” isn’t just a story of sobriety, it’s one of realization and regret. “The Day I Learned To Lie To You” says so much in just the title, but wait until you hear the rest. And “How Wicked I Was” will make quick work of your emotional defenses if you’ve ever been party to a divorce with kids.
“The harder you work, the luckier you get” doesn’t just make for a good hook for a song, it’s the way B.J. Barham approaches life and music, touring more than most anyone, torturing himself to always get better and produce more, and rise above his talent and station. It’s these testimonials like in the final song on the album called “Long Haul” that touch a nerve with his tough-as-nails underdog crowd no matter what their political stripes. It’s also what results in music better than most.
Compared to American Aquarium’s last record Things Change with its surprisingly country in sound, Lamentations is a measure more lush and involved in the production and music. Drama in the words is matched with melodic waves and tangential exits like at the end of the songs “Me + Mine” and “Brightleaf + Burley,” rendering this record much more immersive than your average country project, and maybe more indicative of mid-career Bruce Springsteen.
Some on the country side may not be up for some moments of the Lamentations journey and will be left behind. Steel guitar does ground most of the effort in the roots. But “The Day I Learned to Lie To You” could have been the perfect Hank-style country song if the keys and horns didn’t make it more of an Americana offering. The only exclusively political song called “A Better South” could have lent a bit more context into what makes the South such a complicated subject and some of its residents cling so hard to its heritage, but Barham’s pleas to leave behind the worst of Southern America’s legacy should ring universal.
When compared with other American Aquarium output, some of the songs of Lamentations feel a little par. B.J. goes back to one of his crutch themes of the Carolina tobacco fields in “Brightleaf + Burley,” even if this one has a new wrinkle in suggesting the marijuana trade as a worthy replacement for the Cancer crop. And once again his harsh assessment of the crestfallen American Dream probably deserves a more balanced perspective of how even the worst off have it so much better than in most of the world. A little more gratefulness for the good in life is probably due, but that’s not really what American Aquarium is about.
Some will bandy about this record as the best released so far in 2020, and it sure makes a big case for itself, especially in the Americana and songwriting realm, while also making for a good specimen of a record that is able to broach political subjects in a respectful manner in what promises to be a very political year in American roots music.
But no matter where it lands on the end-of-year lists, Lamentations is once again a testament to B.J. Barham’s insistence to not just refuse to shield our eyes from the growing entropy in American life, but to inspire us all to persevere through it and to rise above the cards we’re dealt, just like he has done continuously throughout his career.
1 3/4 Guns Up (8/10)
– – – – – – – – – – –
Purchase from American Aquarium
Purchase from Amazon
SnarkyAnarky
May 4, 2020 @ 9:03 am
been waiting for your take on this one – i’ve been listening to it a lot the past few weeks. it doesn’t replace Burn.Flicker.Die as my favorite AA album but it is some of the best writing BJ has put out. Watching him mature and grow throughout the discography is impressive.
Griz
May 4, 2020 @ 9:08 am
Nice review. I should say that I had to give this one a few listens before I could reasonably judge it. The rest of AA’s stuff leaves a more immediate impression. But this is a very good album.
KeepOnChooglin
May 4, 2020 @ 9:19 am
Meh. Your first few lines is why I’ve never liked him or any version of the band that much. Texas/Red Dirt wannabe who always appears to be trying to hard.
Uncle2Pillow
May 4, 2020 @ 10:12 am
Strong assertion of being considered a wannabe. BJ Barham has actually worked closely with a number of prominent red dirt artists including John Fullbright for example. I don’t think he was ever setting out to find most of his success in the Texas scene coming from NC.
Trigger
May 4, 2020 @ 10:46 am
American Aquarium fell in with the Texas/Red Dirt crowd when they started getting booked by the Red 11 agency which specializes in Texas/Red Dirt artists. The agency has diversified somewhat since, but when American Aquarium first signed up, they were being booked at Texas/Red Dirt events, and became friends with a lot of the artists. I don’t think it was a purposeful shift by a “wannabe” as much as a natural progression due to association. Same can be said for The Black Lillies (RIP).
Kevin Smith
May 4, 2020 @ 1:10 pm
This is a head scratcher for me. On the one hand, some of Barhams material sounds like country and can grab you for a second. On the other hand he sounds like a rock oriented artist with southern heritage, like the aforementioned Lucero. There’s talent here, particularly in the songwriting area. The record is political, make no mistake and that’s a personal turnoff to me and no doubt some others, but he isn’t obnoxious about it at least.
I struggle with how to categorize this and what to compare it to. It doesn’t sit comfortably alongside the hardcore honky tonk and traditional leaning country artists i typically gravitate towards.. Its probably Iike a lot of the bands reviewed on this site, gonna default to the Americana category. For folks saying album of the year, definitely not a country music Album of the Year. Maybe a contender in Americana. And Trig mentions this dude goes through band members like water, is he maybe the Billy Corgan of Americana?
Uncle2Pillow
May 4, 2020 @ 2:36 pm
American Aquarium has generally been considered alternative country. While you may hear them as Americana or even red dirt etc. Its the just age old clash of their sound being harder to categorize. BJ himself has said in interviews they are just a rock band with a pedal steel. So its nobody’s fault for really truly categorizing them correctly.
Ryan
May 4, 2020 @ 3:47 pm
I think in addition to red 11 they were also endorsed strongly by big names in the scene. Same can be said for Sean McConnell, far from a Texas Red Dirt wannabe. But why wouldn’t he and AA lean into the fan base once it’s built? They both say often they owe a lot to those who introduced them to Texas.
John M
May 4, 2020 @ 9:24 am
Lots of gut punches here – in BJ’s words “sad songs make me happy”. I get that this is probably not for everybody to play on repeat (although it is for me), but it is a must listen and is my current Album of the Year.
SnarkyAnarky
May 4, 2020 @ 9:31 am
i really need a shirt with ‘sad songs make me happy’
John
May 4, 2020 @ 1:19 pm
He sold shirts for a while that said “sad songs sung loud” or something like that
Sarah A
May 10, 2020 @ 12:03 am
Sad Songs Played Loud
It’s one of my favorite shirts! They have the best merch. It went on clearance a few months ago, at the beginning of quarantine. I grabbed a few shirts and BJ shipped them with a handwritten thank you! Class act.
Kenny M.
May 4, 2020 @ 2:06 pm
I would be surprised if a ‘Sad songs make me happy’ shirt doesnt pop up soon. I get a lot of comments when I wear my ‘Go boldly into the darkness and be the light’ shirt lately. If not, maybe he’ll put out a koozie at least.
Sarah A
May 9, 2020 @ 11:59 pm
I got that shirt for my hubby! He gets a lot of smiles and nods and thumbs ups! 🙂
Adam Americana
May 4, 2020 @ 11:44 am
Amen brother. Amen.
jb
May 4, 2020 @ 10:42 am
I love BJ. I’ve been a fan of his music for a few years and I pre-ordered the CD.
I don’t know if Lamentations is better than Burn.Flicker.Die but it’s excellent.
Trainwreck92
May 5, 2020 @ 12:48 pm
I’m sure you do love BJ, “jb”. Interesting how your name and his are the exact same letters. I’m on to you, bud.
jb
May 5, 2020 @ 2:34 pm
Hahaha!
My musical talent *and* my initials are inversely proportional to BJ’s.
If I ever had the courage to record an album and the chutzpah to submit it to Trigger, it’d be *at least* Two Guns Down! LOL!
Warthog
May 4, 2020 @ 11:21 am
I pre-ordered Lamentations before any of it was even recorded, and I’m damn glad I did. It might not be better than Burn. Flicker. Die., but it’s their best since that one, IMO.
Also, for anyone that’s interested, BJ announced on Instagram recently that American Aquarium’s long out-of-print debut “Antique Hearts” and the “Bones” EP are being released on vinyl in the near future.
Adam Americana
May 4, 2020 @ 11:46 am
That opening song really tears the door off the fucking barn with all the rage, hopelessness and anger that many feel, both on the left, the right, and the middle.
Tyler Pappas
May 4, 2020 @ 12:26 pm
“Neither the left or the right are gonna fight for the folks stuck in between, the way things really are, the American Dream”
thegentile
May 4, 2020 @ 11:52 am
big fan of the last one. this one hasn’t really grabbed me like that so far. might be a grower.
Tyler Pappas
May 4, 2020 @ 11:53 am
I know an 8 is a very high score and I’m going to be one of those people you wrote about in the review. Sorry Kyle. bAlbum of the year for me so far. I would give it a 9.5 and says it’s the best AA album so far. Love the site and appreciate your reviews man!
thegentile
May 4, 2020 @ 12:01 pm
“People cheering for Universal Basic Income or calling for rent strikes probably won’t identify with the message of “The Luckier You Get”.
yeah, because people who work a 40-hour a week job and still can’t afford rent are lazy. gppd take, trig.
Trigger
May 4, 2020 @ 1:41 pm
“because people who work a 40-hour a week job and still can’t afford rent are lazy.”
I didn’t say that. You did. Nor did I imply that. Nor did I take a position on Universal Basic Income or rent strikes. I was simply using an illustration of how the music of BJ Barham can bust through the binary political mindset that is miring the United States in endless polarization, illustrated well by the assumptions in your comment.
A lot of people have been complaining about the divisiveness in these comments sections lately, and it’s being driven by a few bad actors. It’s comments like these that veer the discussion in a bad direction, even if by volume, it’s the responses that dominate. Once again I am asking you refrain from participating in divisive activities in your comments.
collin
May 4, 2020 @ 4:35 pm
You may want to go back and make it more clear what you meant then. Because I guarantee a lot of people are going to read that line and interpret it to mean that you think supporting either of those two things means someone doesn’t know what hard work is.
Logan
May 4, 2020 @ 4:59 pm
Collin, I think you’re reading too much into it. It doesn’t come across that way, at least to me. But everything is offensive to someone these days I suppose, so I could be wrong.
Trigger
May 4, 2020 @ 7:21 pm
Just because I don’t want it to take away from the review or the discussion of the music, which is what we’re supposed to be focused on here, I went back and deleted the passage.
The bigger point I was trying to make is just because B.J. Barham leans left, don’t write off his music or this record just because you identify as conservative.
Jake Cutter
May 4, 2020 @ 8:06 pm
The NYT would be proud.
thegentile
May 4, 2020 @ 4:54 pm
singling out an entire group of people (with an issue that is definitely more likely to fall on one side of the political spectrum) to “illustrate how the music can bust through the binary political mindset”… really?
there isn’t a lot to interpret in what you said. it’s pretty cut and dry – people who think we should provide a basic universal income probably won’t relate to the message of the song, which is hard work pays off.
Bennett
May 4, 2020 @ 5:44 pm
You’re the one who put the divisive comment in your own dang review. You absolutely were implying that folks who would like UBI don’t or can’t understand the concept of working hard, and then working harder when hard isn’t enough.
Either follow your own request in “refraining from participating in divisive activities in your comments” or have the balls to back up the ill-formed stereotype you were trying to reinforce.
Elk Tracker
May 4, 2020 @ 5:57 pm
“Never waste an opportunity to be offended.”
—the Gentile
Kingpete
May 4, 2020 @ 12:25 pm
Why did you have to mention Ben Nichols and trigger my hunger for some new Lucero?!
DANIEL MULLINS
May 4, 2020 @ 2:20 pm
That last Lucero album was one of the best albums; ever. I still play the whole thing through about twice a week!
Kevin Smith
May 4, 2020 @ 3:13 pm
Which Lucero album? I admit I haven’t kept up since Women and Work and that live one after. I probably like Rebels, Rogues and Sworn Brothers best , although the Overton record with the horns is pretty good too.
JD
May 4, 2020 @ 3:23 pm
They came back with a vengeance with their last one, Among the Ghosts. Some instant classics on there like the title track, To my Dearest Wife and Always Been You. Plus they released a second version of it made of early cuts before the final polished stuff for the album.
Matsfan/Jatsfan
May 5, 2020 @ 6:50 am
This a great, well written review, omitted passage or not. Haven’t stop listening since it came out. Love it and BJ Barham is one writer who express an opinion without dismissing the other side. Not many have the talent to do that. I have tickets to see them this summer in WI Dells but have my doubts that the show will go on.
jb
May 12, 2020 @ 12:17 pm
The last pre-pandemic show I saw was Lucero. It was fantastic.
wayne
May 4, 2020 @ 1:19 pm
Shooter has been producing a lot lately it seems. I am wondering what a producer makes when they do an album. Is it a flat fee or residuals? I honestly do not know.
thegentile
May 4, 2020 @ 2:19 pm
it depends on the producer. some do it for a flat fee, some do it for points off the sales. big names typically do a combination of both.
wayne
May 4, 2020 @ 4:08 pm
Thanks.
DJ
May 4, 2020 @ 3:04 pm
I skipped over the comments- and listened to Me and Mine- the title itself resonates with me.
The last few days I’ve been thinking about Merle haggard s Mama’s Hungry Eyes which led to thinking about the movie The Grapes of Wrath which led me to thinking about Woodie Guthrie songs.
There ain’t no going back. No do over. Like a sign I saw credited to Waylon, “this ain’t no dress rehearsal”. To recognize our situation is helpful but only in memory so it doesn’t happen again. The best lesson we can learn from History is the we don’t learn from History.
That song and video is powerful and I hope it goes No.1 world wide- and helps people realize empty suited politicians (no matter what stripe they wear) can live your life for you. It’s up to you, the Individual, to do the best you can with the hand you’ve been dealt.
Oh, and Jason Isbell can’t hold a candle to that song- even if Shooter Jennings is involved.
GT
May 4, 2020 @ 3:56 pm
The music itself may not be for everyone, but I consider this the finest collection of lyrics of any American Aquarium record, and stands up to BJ’s solo record, Rockingham, which is a stunner itself.
My main drawback of the last couple of AA records is that there have been too many damn songs about being a touring musician and the toll it takes, or autobiographical songs about his personal life. Arguably, his biggest strength lies in character songs and stories, and I’m thrilled he really made another album like that in Lamentations. Luckier You Get & The Long Haul still have stuff about him in there, but thankfully that’s not most of the record.
Good on you, BJ. This thing’s a Record Of The Year contender.
SnarkyAnarky
May 4, 2020 @ 4:33 pm
previously his songs seemed Mostly autobiographical.. starting with Rockingham (‘O Lover’ in particular) he seems to be branching out into creating characters
Corncaster
May 4, 2020 @ 4:23 pm
“Too damn hard to sing” is cliché, and there’s some trite stuff here. He sings lamentations just fine if he can afford a studio album. This is just ruin porn mixed with angst.
Jake Cutter
May 4, 2020 @ 5:31 pm
Trite is the word that keeps coming to my mind as well, more than just a little. Because of the positive past reviews and comments, I’ve tried to get into their more beloved albums – and some songs off of this one, but I can’t. They are kind of arduous. I love his attitude and work ethic, but the “songwriting chops” just aren’t there, to me at least anyway.
Flint Postle
May 4, 2020 @ 4:39 pm
“Six Years Come September” is my leading candidate for Song of the Year, and it’s not even close. It pulls you in with the classic country trope of a man dealing with his loved one leaving him, but when the twist comes, BJ takes the knife and twists it as he stabs you so deep that you don’t know if you’ll ever recover. And what do you do? You put it on repeat so you can feel your heart break again and again. That twist never gets easier to deal with; you know it’s coming, but it hurts just as bad the 20th time as it does the first time.
hoptowntiger94
May 4, 2020 @ 7:08 pm
I was suffering from severe BJ Barham exhaust and sat out Things Change (I get how he churns through band members). I haven’t even seen AA in concert since 2016! Did he and his wife get a divorce?? And how is he now 36 years old??
Lamentations is fantastic! It’s my first real AOY candidate. It gives people like me in the middle a voice: I throw my fist in the air a dozen times during Me + Mine! I’ve had four days off from work since March 26th and I’ve been fueled by The Luckier You Get. I’ve been waiting years for someone to write A Better South.
There are some familiar trappings in the album, but overall instead of whining about what can’t be fixed, this album owns it. And the Springsteen parallel (the good Springsteen) is spot on. Great all around. It’s like falling back in love with an ex that got his/her shit together.
Flint Postle
May 5, 2020 @ 8:46 pm
Things Change was the first AA album I physically purchased (and is currently on repeat when I drive my wife’s van, while Lamentations is on repeat in my car); the first half is amazing (Crooked + Straight is hands down my favorite AA song), but the second half can be hard at times to push through, so I understand you sitting it out).
I agree with you on Lamentations though, it’s my album of the year. Without trying to get too political and divisive in the comment sections (I agree with Trig that it can be a pain in the ass to read this section when politics gets involved), I was pushed out of my political home as a result of the rise of Trump, and although I still swim in the conservative stream, I love how BJ gives a voice to those lost in this era of polarization. The line “What are you supposed to do when the God you’re praying to up and goes missing?” is the line I’ve been needing to hear for so long, and I love BJ and AA for giving a voice to the lamentations I’ve been experiencing.
When I first read the lyrics of A Better South, I was expecting something on the level of anger and vitriol of Isbell’s “Be Afraid” (and I’m pleasantly surprised by the lack of blowback that A Better South is receiving here, despite the similar distaste for “shut up and sing). But I appreciated BJ’s approach here, with A Better South (in my opinion) expressing a positive vision for his homeland, even while wrestling with a love/hate relationship with the south. Even though I’m not from the south, I’m from the Appalachian region, and I’m very familiar with the ideas that BJ tears to shreds in A Better South, and I’m thankful for his effort here.
I always appreciate reading your thoughts in these comment sections, hoptown, and this is no exception!
Chris
May 4, 2020 @ 7:27 pm
I can’t wait to give this a listen.
Great review, too, Trig.
I like powerful, gritty lyrics, even though I may have different political inclinations. They emanate from deep down in the gut. I also like real working man/woman experiences and not those involving First World problems. I spent my youth riding Greyhound buses and city buses and doing a lot of menial jobs for pennies.
I don’t live that lifestyle today and haven’t for many years, but it’s what resonates with me. It’s just the down and dirty travails of the human experience.
I didn’t know that BJ was clean and sober.
I’ll be 32 years in September (at least I hope so).
PeterN
May 4, 2020 @ 8:53 pm
Your review perfectly captures the essence of the band. I’ve seen him solo and seen him with American Aquarium, in a couple configurations, and you should always see him with the band if you can. Clearly he pushes his band too hard, but they in turn make him better. He writes sad songs about miserable shit but at the same time reminds us that “Tough times don’t last, tough folks do” and on the new one, “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” I try to see him whenever he swings through town.
Jimmy’s Carhartt
May 5, 2020 @ 1:10 am
Great album. Six Years, Me and Mine, and Starts With You are the standouts for me. I usually despise when politics and music intersect, but this album resonates with me, despite the fact my own political views differ dramatically from BJ’s. Isbell and Sturgill could learn a thing or two here.
Corncaster
May 5, 2020 @ 11:42 am
Trig, I think you mean “teaming” with Shooter Jennings.
JD
May 6, 2020 @ 11:07 am
Finally gave this a spin last night and wow. Probably my second favorite output of AA and BJ. Phenomenal songwriting, catchy melodies without pandering. Lots of Lucero, Springsteen, Cory Branan and The War on Drugs vibes coming from this one. My current record of the year for 2020.
albert
May 7, 2020 @ 9:25 am
didn’t know this band/writer . my bad ( do we still say that ?? ) .
wow !!! the sky over here just got bluer
Burritos
May 8, 2020 @ 7:41 am
I’ve liked AA’s stuff when I’ve heard the odd track here and there but have never really investigated their albums. Thought I’d give this a go and it had me hooked from the first bar of the opening track. Yes, reminiscent of Springsteen and Isbell in parts and I can even hear some Turnpike (Starts with you) but great lyrics and great melodies. I’ll certainly be digging into the back catalogue now.