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Courtney Barnett's Tell Me How You Really Feel


Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel, An Appreciation

by Jay Wilkinson
 
Thanks to daughter Sara for this variegated purple and gray lp.  First things first: Know that this is a guitar rock album and that Barnett drives the album hard with her lyrics and guitar.  For the moment just let the lyrics speak for themselves - without compromise, feminist, ironic, caustic, poetically doubtful, powerful.

But first this is a guitar album.   I’ll give the Patti Smith Band, Nirvana, Hendrix, L7, Byrds, Neil Young as reference points and probable influences.  Especially Nirvana and Young in her disregard for traditional tunefulness.  Barnett’s tendency is to burst forth with angular slashing chords and solos.  Several of the faster songs seem to have been deliberately fuzz-toned in comparison to other sharply-reproduced, expanded sonically, slower but equally emphatic slow songs. I’ll listen more to see if there is a call for fuzz or sharpness coming through from any of the lyrics.  I guess they call it low-fi.
 
There is not one pretty song on the album. There, you are warned.

It is a funky band whose members no doubt also listened in garages to The Gang of Four, Allman Brothers and Rolling Stones. I could imagine many of these songs turned into howling 13 minute jams in a live setting.  
 
Barnett as a singer is more effective than tuneful and in the way that Dylan’s and Young’s vocals do, her approach makes perfect sense for her songs. Her voice has a minor, downcast aspect to it in most tunes; more resignation than announcement to be heard.  You can hear the same tone of voice in Jessica Lea Mayfield's singing; Mayfield also uses cutting, jangly guitar approaches with great effect.  Theirs are voices of toughened, creative survivors.   

You should definitely listen to the album for the stirring and troubling lyrical content. But I bet that frequent listeners will be those who are ready to embrace the challenge and will turn it up, sit back and carefully pursue the full impact of this very, very strong musician’s work.  

Milk Records, (Australia, 2018)
 
Per Wikipedia:
  • Courtney Barnett – guitar, vocals
  • Bones Sloane – bass, backing vocals
  • Dave Mudie – drums, percussion
  • Dan Luscombe – keyboards, organ, guitar, backing vocals
  • Kim Deal – backing vocals (tracks 5 and 7), guitar (track 7) (The Breeders and The Pixies)
  • Kelley Deal – backing vocals (track 7) (The Breeders)
 

Tell Me How You Really Feel, Courtney Barnett - LP - Music Mania ...

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