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Album reviews Music

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett is a bright, boisterous firecracker. On the strength of two EPs and her live show, the Australian musician has had fans buzzing since 2013 over her compelling, wordy songs, enigmatically matter-of-fact singing and hot guitar-playing. 

As this debut full-length unfolds, it recalls Lou Reed’s uncompromising work in the Velvet Underground, Stephen Malkmus’s smart-assery in Pavement and Jonathan Richman’s tense sweetness in the Modern Lovers. Like the aforementioned dudes, Barnett gathers seemingly plain words like puzzle pieces and puts them together whether they fit or not. The Britpoppy Pedestrian At Best contains lyrical gems (“Gimme all your money and I’ll make some origami, honey!”), and rambling narrative verses often splash over infectious choruses, as in An Illustration Of Loneliness (Sleepless In New York). 

There’s nice dynamism between whip-smart pop and the tender brooding of Small Poppies and Depreston, which shows off Barnett’s deep voice and range. A stellar, necessary batch of smart rock songs. 

Top track: Nobody Really Cares If You Don’t Go to the Party

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