Album Review: Courtney Barnett - 'Things Take Time, Take Time'

Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett has evolved impressively since her trailblazing 2015 debut Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit. Retaining her trademark deadpan vocal style and acute observations of everyday interactions, her third album is steeped in gratitude for a new phase in her life. Essentially a love letter to friendship, the record sees her scaling new creative heights. 

Assisted by friend and Kurt Vile collaborator Stella Mozgawa, Courtney furnishes Things Take Time, Take Time with lush ornamentation. There are Wurlitzers, drum machines, acoustic guitars and sunny harmonies. ‘If I Don’t Hear From You Tonight’ reveals unabashed infatuation (“If loving you’s a crime, gimme those front page headlines”), while ‘Write A List Of Things To Look Forward To’ takes its name from the technique Barnett used to escape a depressive funk. 

‘Rae Street’, a survey of the world’s flaws, accepts the bittersweet nature of life, but ‘Splendour’ and ‘Before You Gotta Go’ peel back layers of sun-soaked love. Overall, Barnett’s third outing boasts her usual dry wit and razor-shape commentary, alongside a healthy dose of quiet serenity.

Listen: 'Rae Street'
8/10

Stream Things Take Time, Take Time below:

Stay tuned for Hot Press' December 2021 interview with Courtney Barnett, out Dec. 2