IN REVIEW: Courtney Barnett - "Tell Me How You Really Feel"

Sophomore albums are always intriguing; when an artist releases their first album, there's often a hint of what's to come, in that there's sure to be artistic growth and sonic exploration on future releases no matter how great that debut is. Sometimes that bright future leads to great strides and acclaim, and sometimes there's a fizzle out; when that first record is successful and/or acclaimed, the stakes are far greater for the follow up, and there's much more pressure to build on what that debut provided.

In Courtney Barnett's case, her debut was both acclaimed and successful; 2015's Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit set the critics' hearts aflame and introduced her to a much wider audience than perhaps she or anyone else had planned on. As for me, I named Sometimes my Album of the Year in 2015, praising its witty observations and '90s slacker rock throwback vibe.

Tell Me How You Really Feel is a darker, louder, more personal and pensive record, and one that relies more on space and tension than thrills; this is evidenced by slow-burning opener Hopefulessness, which builds and boils over its hazy, grungy five minutes until there's literally a teapot whistling. To be sure, there is more standard Barnett fare (whatever that could possibly mean after two EPs and one album) to be heard, and lazy rockers City Looks Pretty and Need a Little Time (the latter a clear highlight) will be more than enough to please fans brought on board early who aren't craving too much change just yet.

At its core, though, I feel like Tell Me How You Really Feel is a reactionary record. Sometimes overwhelmed, sometimes angry, it's ultimately a response to Barnett's whirlwind success; lead single Nameless, Faceless doubles as both an indictment of anonymous criticism and the sinister psyches of men. It acts as the album's centerpiece alongside caustic garage rocker I'm Not Your Mother, I'm Not Your Bitch, together acting as a statement of intent; Barnett may seem unassuming at a glance, but she's more than willing to fight.

Lyrics on this record mark the most glaring shift, as Barnett moves away from wordy, metaphoric observation pieces and toward more personal accounts; her relationships are analyzed rather than those of characters, which makes for a much different album thematically. It's perhaps also the biggest leap from first to second record, as Barnett seems to conjure more emotion and wit with less words.

Overall, while it may lack the excitement of her debut, Tell Me How You Really Feel turns out a very assured and well thought out record. It's also the way successful records should be followed, in my opinion; it's not an amplification over what came before, nor is it a wild about face or simply more of the same. Rather, this is an extension, a batch of tunes that exhibit some realized potential while taking a few interesting chances that prove there's still more potential to be unlocked.

May 18, 2018 • Milk!/Mom+Pop
Highlights City Looks Pretty • Need a Little Time • Help Your Self