Australia’s finest singer-songwriter returns with Things Take Time Take Time – a wistful album title that is classic Barnett. Her charming style of fun and thoughtfulness prevails throughout this new record, as do the shining instrumentations.
Lead single ‘Rae Street’ is a prime example of what people love so much about Courtney. Her superb talent for storytelling over excellent guitar instrumentation. This record feels like a true glimpse into Courtney’s writing process, with drum loops and stripped guitar parts giving the album a feel of an unplugged gig, rather than CB’s usual indie rock.
This album is a much more intimate voyage than some of Barnett’s other work, but the lyrical content remains the same – Barnett has a wonderful ability to write about the little things we love and loathe in life. There are some fabulous guitar parts on TTT,TT, especially ‘Before You Gotta Go’, where Barnett balances the drum machine with a shoegaze-influenced riff to great results. The cut ‘Turning Green’ is where Courtney’s drum machine takes centre stage. Barnett worked with Stella Mozgawa, Warpaint’s very own drum machine, to programme the drum parts to this record. ‘Turning Green’ also catches Barnett capturing guitar and machine perfectly together, the extended outro of the track is one of the best instrumental parts on the whole record.
‘Write A List of Things to Look Forward to’ and ‘If I Don’t Hear From You Tonight’ are shining examples of Barnett at her best, and the closer, ‘Oh The Night’, is a wonderful piano ballad that suits Courtney well. This record is a brilliant, intimate example of a singer-songwriter at the top of her game – taking on the prospect of a drum machine was a bold choice, but it pays off for Barnett in superb fashion.
photo credit: Mia Mala McDonald
