Things Take Time, Take Time - Courtney Barnett: Review
Courtney Barnett
is an Australian singer songwriter who emerged as one of the genre's next big acts in the mid 2010's. Her unique blend of indie instrumentation with a rambling and narrative heavy style of songwriting made her a quick critical darling as songs like Avant Gardner and Pedestrian At Best were praised for their relentless cleverness. On her 2018 sophomore album Tell Me How You Really Feel she shifted her sound to a more familiar indie rock approach which garnered her a lot of new fans but received mixed reviews from some already familiar listeners.
Review By Lav:
I'm one of those already familiars. Courtney Barnett was one of the first artists in the indie scene that I can confidently say I was in on pretty early, because as a 14 year old I somehow spent even more time listening to music than I do now. While I do like both her albums, her debut is an utterly unique and impossibly charming piece of contemporary indie music. While her follow-up was good, it was a much more standard indie rock affair both instrumentally and narratively. I was hoping with some of the singles leading up to this record that Courtney would be drifting back into a more recognizable rendition of her style but I think Things Take Time is something all it's own, for better and for worse.
To put it as simply as possible, on the instrumental front Courtney certainly dials back some of the volume here. There are less wiry riffs and more psychedelic and dream poppy haze but it's all in service to some of the records thematic through lines. I can't tell you exactly what Courtney has been going through recently but it is something, she spends most of these tracks translating her personal demons into clever and funny lyricism across a very agreeable set of breezy instrumentals. The lead single Rae Street mostly embodies this and has emerged as one of my favorites on the record. It has the winding narrative style of her early work but also feels like the thesis statement of a much more reserved record. It manages to be quite catchy despite the gloomy demeanor and Courtney is as vivid a songwriter as ever.
The highlights don't slow down from there as Sunfair Sundown is next and has an absolutely lovely sway to it. While I wouldn't call it one of the most compelling songs here I do love the backing vocals on the hook and the instrumental is incredibly pleasant. Turning Green is the percussion highlight that I'm obligated to point out in every album I review and it features some subtle clacking in the background that is core to it's progression. It has a memorable and distinct feeling which culminates in the shredding guitar solo on the back end which somehow doesn't feel out of place at all. It serves as the exclamation point everything is working towards.
Take It Day By Day is a short and genuinely funny song with a bassline I've been thinking about all week and a great message about checking in on those around you who need it. In a similar vein there's Write A List Of Things To Look Forward To, an optimistic ode to finding literally anything to inspire you to keep going. Despite the subject matter it's one of the loveliest sounding songs on the record with a jangly dream pop instrumental and while the hook is expectedly on the wordy side I still find it pretty memorable.
If I Don't Hear From You Tonight reminds me of one of those measured bluesy White Stripes songs like We're Going To Be Friends. The tracks bouncy guitars are a major highlight and Courtney delivers the lyrics with a perfect amount of curious sarcasm. Finally there's the closing track Oh The Night which is a little piece of piano led indie rock to close the album off. It once again has sweet moments but sees Courtney falling victim to her own brain once again, though as always she is able to vocalize the struggles in a charming way. It isn't exactly an emotional catharsis but it does provide the album with a breezy finale.
While I like most of the songs on the record, I have to admit there aren't as many tracks in the mix here that I flat out love. That translates into the records weaker tunes as well, Courtney rarely does anything far enough out of her range to be prominently bad, just occasionally very forgettable. Dare I say it, Here's The Thing is an almost tropical sounding song with instrumentation that has Courtney's usual rainy day aesthetic mixed in with some genuine beachy vibes that I would have never expected from her. Despite the initial unique reaction I came away from it thinking it was just okay.
Before You Gotta Go was a single that I was pretty critical of and I'm only slightly more into it here. It's a really simple love song that never really reaches the unique brand of kookiness we've come to expect from Courtney's music. Maybe it's the jangly hook not doing much for me, her vocals don't feel like they lend themselves very well to this kind of song. Imagine Courtney singing on a Beach Fossils record and you'll know what I'm talking about. Splendour is probably the albums most reserved track with weary guitars and a very murky mix. It's short with a somewhat sad sentiment but not really that memorable of a song.
Unfortunately memorability is the core issue for the album. While it's on these songs are extremely pleasant to listen to and Courtney's attitude and performances paint a really cohesive picture of the place she's currently in mentally. But every time I finished this album I was surprised by how little of it stuck with me, especially given how distinct she's always sounded. I won't let that hold me back from giving the record the praise it deserves, but it definitely holds the album back from being as great as her debut, or even as enjoyable as the follow-up. 6.5/10
I'm not too fond of this cover and think that the splotches could be laid out in a better way because it seems like no thought was given to the chaos. It could've been a more organized variety of crazy splotches and a bolder type to create a more pleasing image. It just seems like something I'd see on Pinterest but I appreciate that they tried something different. it just wasn't executed well. 2/10
