American Aquarium – Small Town Hymns
Raleigh North Carolina’s American Aquarium will be releasing their fifth album in as many years come this May, and it just might be their most impressive creation to date. If you know anything about the band, or have managed to catch one of the roughly 600+ live shows they’ve performed in the last five years, you’re more than familiar with the things that make this band great. Like many of our favorite bands, American Aquarium’s general persona is a direct reflection of their lead songwriter, and his songwriting (see also: Lucero and Ben Nichols, or The Drive-By Truckers and Patterson & Cooley.) Among such great company, BJ Barham and American Aquarium will certainly hold their own.
The instruments behind BJ’s deep Southern drawl and incredibly creative yet natural lyrics fall perfectly into place to burn the finished product into your brain in a way that’ll have you tapping your foot in enjoyment and nodding your head in agreement. What’s the same about this album as those before it, is that it derives much of it’s inspiration from the things that cause us the most of our worries… women. BJ Barham must’ve had his heart broken more times than one man should, but he’s managed to take each of these experiences and illustrate his feelings more poignantly than most men ever could. What’s different about this album is that, to put it succinctly, it’s a real country album. That’s the only way I can wrap my head around it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s got some rocking, but there isn’t a Katherine Belle and there are no Antique Hearts, and it’s perfect. And for a guy that STILL listens to Dances for the Lonely on a weekly basis, that’s saying a lot.
The album opens with “Hurricane” that starts off with the musical equivalent of what feels like waking with the sunrise, as opposed to preparing for the worst. Guess what? It’s a metaphor, for a girl. BJ sets the scene of a town preparing to be torn apart by a storm, while Whit Wright’s pedal steel swirls around like the wind picking up steam. From the get go, you can feel that the band is taking a more introspective approach to being used and abused, not looking for revenge, but rather looking back at what it was for what it was, and it’s a beautiful way to do it.
Hurricane
For every story of pain however, there’s a story of hope, of that beginning part of the relationship that feels so promising. “Nothing to Lose” tells this story of hitting the road and leaving everything else behind, and Bj does it so quickly and poetically that you’ll need to listen to it several times before you really feel it. The way this kid rhymes words with one another is truly a gift. Don’t overlook the musical aspects of this track though, as Ryan Johnson’s lead guitar and Kevin McClain’s drums created the tempo for this whole thing to go down.
Nothing to Lose
These guys wouldn’t be who they are if they didn’t show some real attitude, and this wouldn’t be considered a troubador country album if it weren’t for a song like “Rattlesnake.” Again centered around a dangerous woman, but the kind you know is going to burn you and you just can’t resist. This is a booze-soaked tribute to the kind of holes we tend to dig ourselves into, fully knowing the outcome. How can you not like the line “she’s got the kisses of a thousand angels, and the bite of a rattlesnake?” Zack Brown busts out an incredible piano solo towards the end of this one. I feel bad mentioning him this late in the post because Zack’s work is killer.
Rattlesnake
The last track you all need to hear isn’t about a woman at all. Well, there’s one woman mentioned, but it’s a Mama. “Brother Oh Brother” is proof positive that BJ Barham can write a song about something other than heartbreak. This is a heavy and proud song that will suck you in ala Kasey Anderson’s “I Was A Photograph” or Lucero’s “The War.” I hate to play favorites, but this is my favorite from this album. I love the way it’s written in a pattern, and emphasizes the important statements at the beginning and end of each verse. What do you call that? I don’t know, but it’s good as hell. Oh yeah, and I haven’t yet mentioned their bass player, Bill Corbin, but he’s really good too, way to go Bill!
Brother Oh Brother
All in all, if you’re going to buy ten albums this year, make damn sure that this is one of them. I’ve had it on repeat for the past two weeks and I hear something new every time I listen to it. There are ten tracks in all, each of which has a certain edge and consistency that ties it all together. If you’ve been listening to American Aquarium for a while, you’ll find a lot of familiar characteristics, but the changes should be considered promising. If it’s your first time hearing this band, this will be a great introduction to a library of music that won’t disappoint. I also must mention that you NEED to see this band play live. BJ runs a show that his half stand-up comedy, half party, and half rock ‘n roll mayhem. Yeah, it’s like 1.5 shows in one. Make sure you check out their MySpace page below to find out where you can see ‘em. They’re playing damn near everywhere from now through May, and you can bet your ass we’re doing a little work to get them out to California (stay tuned!)
I’ve got to leave you with what is probably my favorite YouTube video of these guys, and surprisingly, it’s not the one from our SXSW showcase (although they tore that thing up too.) The video below is for “I Hope He Breaks Your Heart” which was on 2009′s Dances for the Lonely. BJ tells the story of the girl, or demon rather, that inspired this song, and it’s hilarious. I wish we had the tape of the way he lead into this one at our showcase, because he wished that this girl had a bunch of “Water Head” babies. That’s one you don’t hear everyday, and I pretty much spit out my beer mid drink in laughter.
Alright guys, taker easy!
Brain
