BJ Barham dropped another heartbreaker this morning.
He recently announced that his band, American Aquarium, will have a new album out called Chicamacomico in the summer of 2022.
The band has been recording at the iconic Sonic Ranch in El Paso, Texas with Bradley Cook producing, and the whole effort has been 100% crowd funded. BJ previously posted a video on Instagram of the title track, but since then, we haven’t heard much else from what’s sure to be another incredible album.
Today, he’s debuting “Waking Up The Echoes,” which is another absolute heartbreaker about the loss of a friend to suicide and how much BJ still misses him, especially when he goes back home to all the places where they have memories together:
“Can’t help but laugh about
All the trouble that we got
Into in the back of that Short Sugars parking lot
All the life we lived
All the plans we discussed
Until Milwaukee’s Best snuck up and got the best of us
And I wish you’d have called me
Maybe I could have talked you down
But the thing that I wish most of all
Is that you were still around”
He also posted a lengthy caption about the song that I think will really hit home for a lot of people, especially with the holiday season upon us and Thanksgiving week starting up.
BJ noted that although it’s a very happy time for many of us, there are people who are alone that might just need a phone call from a friend or to be told they’re loved and cared about:
“Here’s a new one I wrote called ‘Waking Up The Echoes’. This time of year can be extremely hard for a lot of folks. Depression, anxiety and solitude have gotten the best of so many of my friends over the years and it only gets harder as we get older.
Call your friends. Check up on the people you love this holiday season. I’ve learned that the only thing worse than not saying what you need to say to someone is never having the chance to again. Don’t put off telling the people you love that you love them.
If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is open 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255. I love all of you beautiful motherfuckers. Be safe and smart this Thanksgiving.”
This track just proves why he’s one of the very best in the independent country scene… I don’t think I’ve ever heard such an honest, sincere song that is anything like this:
