BeatRoute Magazine [AB] print e-edition - [May 2018]

musicreviews
Courtney Barnett
Tell Me How You Really Feel
Mom + Pop/ Marathon Artists/ Milk!
Tell Me How You Really Feel is an open
invitation from Courtney Barnett as she gains
momentum with her sophomore release. Following
her 2015 debut full-length, Sometimes
I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, and
fresh off the heels from touring with her musical
twin Kurt Vile on the collaboration Lotta
Sea Lice in late 2017, Barnett has come up with
a refreshing and edited version of herself. This
trajectory of maturity rounds out any uneasy
feelings one might have about her style of
reserved monotone melodies, lyrical ramblings
and run-on strumming that made it on her
first album.
It seems Barnett may have had similar
uneasy feelings while writing this record. The
track "Crippling Self Doubt and a General Lack
of Self-Confidence" is used as a blunt cathartic
stamp of words saying just that. In her pursuit
of being forthright with these feelings, she
has noticeably stirred up some inner anger. In
the song "Nameless, Faceless" she uses a loose
quote from Margaret Atwood: "Men are afraid
that women will laugh at them/women are
afraid that men will kill them," and then goes
on to say "I walk with my keys between my
fingers," woven into an otherwise pop-centric,
grunge tune. It’s unclear if she’s directly speaking
to the present feminist climate or possibly
just the haters online, but the sharper edge
suits the already cheeky attitude in her lyrics.
Again, in the track "I'm Not Your Mother, I'm
Not Your Bitch" she releases a pointed tone to
whatever she perceives to be that opposition
with the snarky "I hear you mutter under your
breath/Put up or shut up it's all the same/
Never change, never change." Whether Barnett
is letting off steam or not, she’s a benevolent
artist and the catharsis is personal yet easily
relatable. Better out than in.
54 | MAY 2018 • BEATROUTE
In spite of her crippling doubt, Barnett’s
vocal range on this record has progressed
into sounding more seasoned, both sweet
and savoury. Her time writing and touring the
album with Kurt Vile seems to have refined
her melodies and guitar fills relieving some
pressure from putting out a substantial second
release after the fast success of the first. In
"Need a Little Time" she presents her quiet
pretty singing voice with catchy 'eeeeees’
and 'ooooos’ that really lift her listenability in
contrast to the steady rap-like talking from
the 2015 release. It is a standout single and a
self-care anthem perfect for the shower or car
sing-alongs.
There are guitar sounds on this record that
also brings out the feels. She is known to play
guitars like a Harmony or a Telecaster, which
lends her a basic, yet rootsy-tough sound
that she manages to spread evenly over the
ten songs. There is a tempo breakdown in
the jangly Velvet Underground inspired "City
Looks Pretty" that showcases what a soulful
rock guitarist with deep pop sensibilities she
is, and only getting better. Then, going back
to "I'm Not Your Mother..." Barnett rides the
line between grunge and punk riffs. Knowing
she executes this simple but perfectly rhythmic
guitar hammering all the while playing
lefty, with no pick, gives off the feelings of
authenticity and solid musicianship. Hearing
more of that guitar flare filling space in the
songs and less words, proves she is showcasing
her natural talent more confidently and it
also makes for a more light-hearted listen.
When you have as many feelings as Courtney
Barnett, it’s hard to sum it all up without
some redundancies and repeats. But for now
her modesty and self-awareness has been
keeping her relevant and a trusted Melbourne
musical export.
• Shauna Sheppard
illustration: Carole Mathys