Courtney Barnett has been compared to Kurt Cobain, Bob Dylan and Lou Reed but at The Olympia Theatre on Monday night (November 12), she was simply, incontrovertibly herself.

With hallmark witty-deadpan delivery, the angsty grunge-pop Melburnian took on toxic masculinity, female fears, family turmoil, self-doubt and just about everything else you might expect from a 21^st century rock star.

Barnett first gained attention in 2012 with self-released EP, I’ve Got a Friend Called Emily Ferris. Since then, she has released the critically acclaimed album Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, embarked on several sold-out tours, nabbed a Grammy nomination and appeared on countless late night television spots - most notably Saturday Night Live in May.

Touring her newest record, Tell Me How You Really Feel, she began her Dublin set with ‘Hopefulessness’ where she delicately recites a quote attributed to the late Carrie Fisher: “Take your broken heart, turn it into art,” before a thumping guitar kicks in.

A rousing performance of ‘City Looks Pretty’ follows - a song about a night on the town as an introvert. “Friends treat you like a stranger and strangers treat you like their best friend, oh well,” she utters.

On ‘Nameless, Faceless’ - the album’s lead single, she sings: “He said ‘I could eat a bowl of alphabet soup, and spit out better words than you’” before a raging politically charged lyric: “Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.”

For Nirvana-inspired ‘I’m Not Your Mother I’m Not Your Bitch’ a psychedelic red spotlight shun directly on her face corresponding with her fury.

During the three-song encore, Barnett harmonises with Bones Sloane (Bass guitarist) on a heartbreaking cover of Gillian Welch’s, ‘Everything Is Free’. ‘Depreston’ received the strongest reaction from the room as Barnett sang about the rental market and the sad thought of a new house once being somebody else's home.

Courtney Barnett is a rock star on her own terms. Put on a pedestal, she certainly didn’t disappoint. There is a distinct confidence to her vulnerability, making her one of the most important figures in rock music today.

Setlist:

Hopefulessness

City looks pretty

Avant gardener

Need a little time out

Nameless, faceless

I’m not your mother, I’m not your bitch

Small poppies

Small tall

Sunday roast

Depreston

Are you looking after yourself

Streets of your town

Elevator operator

Charity

History eraser

Encore:

Everything is free

Anonymous club

Pedestrian at best