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Gig Review
Courtney Barnett London, Rough Trade East
Article written by
Ged M - Feb 27, 2014
From A Sea of Split Peas to a sea of humanity… given the critical acclaim for her debut record, it’s not surprising that people have turned up for this free lunchtime instore gig, but to have queues of people outside who can't get in shows the incredible impact she’s had in a relatively short time. Even Courtney herself is shocked, expecting an instore to be like her local Melbourne record shop (capacity 50) but any nerves dissolve into appreciation and then a very obvious enjoyment.
She’s part of a trio now and the sound is loud – which really benefits these tunes. ‘Avant Gardener’ was always choice but played by the threesome it purrs with the same essential rock’n’roll groove as any classic track from Loaded, while her repeated line “I’m not that good at breathing in” comes across like a mantra. ‘History Eraser’, crammed with wit and observational acuity, is similarly elevated while new track ‘Depreston’, pencilled in for Record Store Day release, is another future classic; a story about a vanilla suburb of Melbourne, the lyrics sound like a subverted estate agent’s catalogue in perfectly scanned lines, making the everyday come to life. It shows off what she does best and confirms for those lucky enough to gain admission why she's one of the great dark horses of 2014.