On their new album The Fear of Standing Still, the North Carolina band embody that dynamic with more intensity than ever before, endlessly matching their gritty breed of country-rock with Barham’s bravest and most incisive songwriting to date. As he reflects on matters both personal and sociocultural — the complexity of Southern identity, the intersection of generational trauma and the dismantling of reproductive rights — American Aquarium instill every moment of The Fear of Standing Still with equal parts unbridled spirit and illuminating empathy.
Recorded live at the legendary Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, The Fear of Standing Still marks American Aquarium’s second outing with producer Shooter Jennings — a three-time Grammy winner who also helmed production on 2020’s critically lauded Lamentations, as well as albums from the likes of Brandi Carlile and Tanya Tucker. In a departure from the stripped-down subtlety of 2022’s Chicamacomico (a largely acoustic rumination on grief), the band’s 10th studio LP piles on plenty of explosive riffs and hard-charging rhythms, bringing a visceral energy to the most nuanced and poetic of lyrics. “In our live show the band’s like a freight train that never lets up, and for this record I really wanted to showcase how big and anthemic we can be,” notes Barham, whose bandmates are guitarist Shane Boeker, pedal-steel guitarist Neil Jones, keyboardist Rhett Huffman, drummer Ryan Van Fleet and bassist Alden Hedges.
Recensie album:https://oor.nl/albums/the-fear-of-standing-still/
American Aquarium dient als vehikel voor de autobiografische songschrijverij van BJ Barham uit het conservatieve North Carolina. De dominante en praatgrage frontman is de enige constante factor in de ruigrafelige alt.countryband, de andere musici komen en gaan. Over een periode van bijna twintig jaar heeft hij meer dan dertig groepsleden versleten...................... https://oor.nl/albums/the-fear-of-standing-still/
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