From what we’ve heard so far, the album tackles topics ranging from feeling imprisoned by some sort of debt, to how self-made men might not be as tough as they make themselves out to be. Considering the latter topic, perhaps it’s fitting to hold album release weekend in a state where an ex-president lurks in his Palm Beach mansion, partially thanks to a small loan of $1 million.
“Common Nation of Sorrow offers an assessment of the country’s current state, telling stories of American capitalism and the individual and communal devastation it manifests,” a press release says. “Across the record’s ten tracks, Baiman highlights these shared experiences with the hope they will become a tool for activism.”
This article appears in Mar 30 – Apr 5, 2023.