Courtney Barnett enters a remarkable new phase of her musical evolution with the release of her second album Tell Me How You Really Feel, out today!
From its title to the cover image Barnett reveals a new-found confidence and perspective. Where she once examined the world through self-analysis, Tell Me How You Really Feel shifts that focus to those she interacts with – the good ones, the bad ones, the loved ones. Those she knows intimately and those who are strangers.
There’s a muscularity to the instrumentation, a tenderness in her voice and a boldness to the lyrics. Take first single ‘Nameless Faceless’ for instance, a punk rock anthem simmering with barely contained anger at women’s continued dehumanisation at the hands of a male dominant society and her own treatment at the hands of anonymous trolls.
Which is not to say that there aren’t moments of grace and introspection – on ‘Crippling Self Doubt and A General Lack of Self Confidence’ she grapples with the responsibility of being an unexpected spokesperson of her generation, one whose every word is open to scrutiny and examination, somehow turning the chorus of “I don’t know/ I don’t know/ I don’t know anything” into something both humorous and peculiarly affecting. And on the gorgeous album closer ‘Sunday Roast’, she sings with great tenderness. Filled with the sense that over the course of this record, we have moved from hopelessness to something quietly, softly optimistic. “Keep on keeping on, you know you’re not alone”, runs the refrain.
Last night Barnett returned to perform on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon for a fourth time. She’s currently in the middle of a series of sold out USA and European album-launch shows and will return home in August to play the largest Australia and New Zealand shows of her career. Further tour details below.
Purchase / stream Tell Me How You Really Feel here.
AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND TOUR DATES
Fri 17th Aug – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide
Sat 18th Aug – Metropolis, Fremantle
Weds 22nd Aug – The Tivoli, Brisbane
Thurs 23rd Aug – Sydney Opera House, Sydney *New Show*
Sat 25th Aug – Sydney Opera House, Sydney
Weds 29th Aug – The Powerstation, Auckland
Thurs 30th Aug – Opera House, Wellington
Sat 1st Sept – Festival Hall, Melbourne
with East Brunswick All Girls Choir*
*excluding Sydney
All tickets available from https://courtney-barnett.lnk.to/live
