Amid a swirling fury of frayed-wire guitar distortion and a rambling backbeat, Courtney Barnett speak-sings fleeting thoughts about failed relationships, boredom, and youthful directionless in exacting detail and shrugging nonchalance. And while her lyrics seem specifically personal, and well, mundane, they’re immediately identifiable.
take “Are You Looking After Yourself” — a phone conversation with her parents that we’ve all had at one time or another, where they ask “Are you working hard my darling, we’re so worried… Are you eating? You sound so thin.” Or see her witty setup-punchline in “Avant Gardener”: “The paramedic thinks I’m clever ’cause I play guitar / I think she’s clever ’cause she stops people dying.”
The Fat Angel Sings 