From the grizzly opener “Stay in Your Lane”, Creature of Habit makes it plain for all to hear: Courtney Barnett is here to rock. No frills, no fuss; just rock. In some ways, it’s the perfect throwback to grunge and indie, earmarking a no-nonsense, heartfelt barrel of songs. “I don’t know how to trust you,” Barnett sings on “Wonder”, a gentle ballad lit up by Kurt Cobain-esque hooks.
A guitar player of some note, the Australian-born musician has often cast a light on her instrument at the expense of her voice. Pleasingly, Creature of Habit‘s modus operandi is on the melodies, delivered with rapier-sharp wit and total commitment. The yearning poetry of “Mostly Patient” is delivered with only the sparsest of instruments: a solitary guitar chiming gently beside the words.
“One Thing at a Time” is based on the rhythm section: poking and punching behind the bristling hooks. Barnett sounds relaxed, especially throughout “Great Advice”, where her Sydney accent is clearest. There is a literary cohesion to the words, adding an intellectual padding to the power chords fans have come to expect.
“Another Beautiful Day”, a spiritual successor to the famous tune off Lou Reed‘s Transformer, is punctuated by sparkling arpeggios, at both times bluesy and melancholic. Besides the songwriting, the guitarist comes up with a Ringo Starr-like percussive fill: cymbals splashing to the weight of the emotion. More than that, “Another Beautiful Day” features a stunningly gorgeous solo, positing listeners headfirst into the terrain where Spring welcomes possibility through weather and warmth. Cleverly, the song fades out with tapeloops of bird chatter chirping away.
“Mantis”, a hybrid of genres, opens to the sound of a drum rattling away, much as a jazz player would. As a rhythm, it has form, joined by a biting bass and heartfelt lyric. Barnett has rarely sounded so confident, especially as a vocalist, proving that her artistry is moving in a clear, cohesive direction.
“Sugar Plum” sounds wounded, applying a real-life scenario to guide the tune. “It seems like everybody’s struggling,” she sighs, sympathising with the myriad people “drowning” in their everyday lives. Struggle, shadows and single-minded bolshiness typify humanity. “Sight Unseen”, punched by a slide pattern and a buzz resembling a sitar, speeds and slows to the whim of a playful drum. According to the credits, Waxahatchee guests on the song, presumably as a harmony vocalist, punching up the overall sound.
“One Thing at a Time” is also noteworthy for its husky vocal interpolations, creating a sound like malt whiskey distilled through a microphone. “Stay in Your Lane” features a verse resembling rap alongside a turbocharged bassline. The Rolling Stones cast a shadow over “Great Advice”: cowbells, choppy chords and cymbal-play. “I need your opinion like a needle in the eye,” comes the stanza, Barnett cackling as she delivers it. Judging by the zippy quips and zingers, the Australian artist could have been a stand-up comedian in a different reality from the one she and we reside.
The vulnerability and guitar-soaked chorus marry under “Same”, cloaked as a protagonist searching for redemption in an ever-shifting landscape. In time-honored tradition, the track takes time until the singer makes their appearance, adding a frisson to the piece as an audio drama par excellence. If Courtney Barnett’s Creature of Habit can claim a masterpiece, then “Same” is definitely a contender, not the Marlon Brando-esque kind. She shifts keys during the musical bridge, setting a new standard in jumps and octaves. Such is the jump, it would be interesting to see if the follow-up features no guitar at all!