Courtney Barnett’s trajectory to her fifth album, Creature of Habit, has basically just been what she has wanted—chill and very her. I, like many, loved her deadpan delivery next to indie rock hooks on Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit—an 11-year-old album that has so many memorable tracks in “Depreston” “Pedestrian at Best,” and “Elevator Operator.”
For me, Barnett rose from the indie underground to indie rock royalty for her lyrics; these fascinating yarns that read like abstract poems under hooky guitar leads and rock n’ roll. I actually had the chance to interview her around 2018’s Tell Me How You Really Feel, which brought a more angered Barnett into the limelight, right after she had co-authored Lotta Sea Lice with Kurt Vile. Both are still albums I’ll revisit from time to time.
I kind of missed her 2021 Things Take Time, Take Time album, but after checking it out for this review, she’s definitely retreated a bit from the quirky narrative vibe. She even released a film soundtrack that completely flew under my radar. Now, that inner dialogue vibe is very present on Creature of Habit. You know, ramblings about anxiety, indecision, and overthinking (things every human faces) with some soft indie rock. The fantastical narrative stories, which felt like flipping through old photographs, seem to have been traded out for more direct feelings, which is sometimes better for the song, but sometimes leaves me longing for the old Barnett.
“Site Unseen” features Waxahatchee, and while it’s a simple song, the neo-indie country vibe with some nice instrumentation really works for me. “One Thing At A Time” is pretty classic Barnett; the hook is presented early and manipulated a few times. “Mantis,” is probably the closest we get to the waxing poetic Barnett and has a jumpy post-punk vibe with a motorik beat that is pretty irresistible. “Great Advice” is a more post punk vibe in the beginning with fuzzy minor-keyed guitars, but turns into a classic Barnett song. It’s her critque of the critics, like me.
“Same” is more of a synth rock vibe with haunting organ and 60s sunshine pop, and Barnett’s vocals are cloaked under more reverb a bit. I’d love a whole album of this vibe. Creature of Habit, at its heart, for me is a fine album, but it doesn’t have enough staying power, save for a few songs, to really hit for me.
