Album Review: Tell Me How You Really Feel, Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett’s second album (I’m not including last year’s rather wonderful Kurt Vile collaboration, Lotta See Lice) harks back to the kind of laidback, yet angst-ridden indie that made Evan Dando and J Mascis household names in the ’90s – a good thing.

The Aussie songstress has delivered on the promise of her debut, from the slow drone of ‘Hopefulessness’ – tipping its metaphorical cap to Polly Harvey’s ‘To Bring You My Love’ – to the strident guitar motif of ‘Charity’. On the latter, she memorably exclaims, “Meditation just makes you more strung out/ I wish you had a guru who told you to let it go.”

Barnett’s knack of penning a bright and breezy melody sometimes belies the power of the lyrics, which brim over with introspection and insight. Take the galloping rock ‘n’ roll of ‘City Looks Pretty’ or the hip-swinging, guitar-slinging ‘Nameless/Faceless’, which is guaranteed to have even the rhythmically challenged swaying. It’s one of two tracks to feature The Breeders’ Kim and Kelley Deal – check also the super catchy, staccato guitar assault of the wonderfully titled, ‘Crippling Self Doubt And A General Lack Of Self Confidence’. Brilliant song titles are a theme with Barnett, as evidenced by ‘I’m Not Your Mother, I’m Not Your Bitch’, an angry anthem of punky self-determination, complete with buzzsaw guitars and pummelled drums.

‘Need A Little Time’ has a beautifully ragged guitar solo, straight out of the Neil Young songbook, while ‘Help Your Self’ may just be the finest slacker self-help guide ever set to music. The album closes with the gorgeous ‘Sunday Roast’, imploring someone, “Don’t come with your arms swinging, throw them around me.”

Seriously impressive stuff from the Aussie indie queen.

Rating: 8/10