American Aquarium tend to float on the fringes of country music, keeping alt-country and traditional influences alive and well while amassing an ever-growing cult following. With Chicamacomico, the BJ Barham-fronted project releases its most emotional album yet (an appropriate left turn after 2021’s two-volume covers collection Slappers, Bangers & Certified Twangers), as the LP found direct inspiration in the collective loss and grief wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Standouts include the heartland rocker “All I Needed”, which celebrates how the right song can be a “lyrical sucker-punch to the face” during hard times, and “Wildfire”, an ode to love that burns fast and bright. That the band crowdfunded the entire album—in under 48 hours, to boot—is a testament to both their rabid fanbase and the power and urgency of Chicamacomico, which is sure to be remembered as one of the band’s best.