Tell Me How You Really Feel - Courtney Barnett - Album Review

The Avant Gardener, Courtney Barnett, comes out with her most aggressive body of work yet. With Tell Me How You Really Feel, Courtney Barnett bridges grunge-y guitar work with direct songwriting, and it captures her at her most confrontational.

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Courtney Barnett broke onto to the indie rock scene, drawing attention for her offset singing style and quirky songwriting. In 2017, the Australian artist dropped a collaborative project with Kurt Vile, Lotta Sea Lice, receiving praise for their chemistry in musicality and songwriting. Despite dropping her brilliantly quirky debut album, Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit, Courtney Barnett has more hard-hitting tunes on her sophomore effort, Tell Me How You Really Feel. Barnett's latest project treads in familiar territory, but manages to feel exciting and entertaining without ever feeling dreadful.

"Hopelessness" opens up with a bass-y guitar tone, it begins the album in a dark place that feels both terrifying and unsettling. Barnett has depressing tunes, but none feel as grime-y and isolated as her opening track on the album. The album immediately changes its paces with tracks such as "City Looks Pretty" and "Charity", both having a grunge-y/Alternative rock vibe. Barnett has catchy guitar work and irresistible charm on "Charity" with the theme of forming new relationships "Can we work it out? / Meditation just makes you more strung out / I wish you had a guru who told you to let it go, let it go". Courtney Barnett's writing has gotten more direct, and she does not give an overabundant amount of storytelling like how she did in the "Avant Gardener" days.

Still, bits of storytelling reside on tracks "Crippling Self-Doubt And A General Lack Of Confidence" and "Help Your Self", both dealing with confidence issues. Both tracks find Courtney Barnett at her most melodic, while at her wittiest. The latter song has blues-y vibes that has a thumping rhythm throughout its run time. The album boasts a handful of great moments that stick, such as the guitar lines on "Walkin' On Egg Shells", the catchy "Crippling Self-Doubt And A General Lack Of Confidence" and the thoughtful "Need A Little Time".

The only complaint with the album comes to that it feels uninspired at times. With "I'm Not Your Mother, I'm Not Your Bitch", it feels like a 101 lesson on rock songs, feeling both generic and bland. Also not to mention, some moments feel all too familiar, but it only holds the album back slightly.

With Tell Me How Your Really Feel, Courtney draws a fine line between alternative and indie. The record has many catchy tunes that find Barnett at her most upfront and genius. Tell Me How You Really Feel does not break any sonic barriers for Barnett, but it's such a charming record that's both compelling and entertaining.

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8.0/10

Released: 2018

Label: Marathon Artists, Mom+Pop

Favorite Tracks: City Looks Pretty, Charity, Need A Little Time, Nameless, Faceless, Crippling Self-Doubt And A General Lack Of Confidence, Walkin' On Eggshells

Worst Track: I'm Not Your Mother, I'm Not Your Bitch