Courtney Barnett's new album is like an open-ended letter that attempts to respond to its title, 'Tell Me How You Really Feel'. The songs are honest, clever, sarcastic, dark, and introspective. The album delivers great moments of rock and roll on songs like "Nameless, Faceless," but also leaves you hanging between verse and chorus on tracks like the opener, "Hopeless."

Barnett sounds more focused on her second full length and if you thought her previous releases put her in the company of Bob Dylan, 'Tell Me How You Really Feel' carries on the tradition of lyrical rock and roll. The handwritten lyrics in the album insert will transport any Gen X'ers back to the era when people used to buy CDs and study the front cover insert as if they were learning poetry. What's even more exciting about Barnett and the release of the new album is that it's also a sign that the tasteful side of grunge music might have a new wave in America.

The comparison to grunge has been an obvious one since her debut EPs were released, but now it feels intentional. Barnett interviewed Kim Deal back in 2015 for a podcast and since then has become a disciple of the Deals' music. Kim and Kelley appear on the new album and you can hear the influence of The Breeders in the production of 'Tell Me How You Really Feel.' You get all the distortion and crunch from her guitar, but the vocals cut through the mix and through your brain like a cannonball. For rock fans, this is must-have album of 2018.

Courtney Barnett's 'Tell Me How You Really Feel' is out now on Mom + Pop records.

Resources

Courtney Barnett - Official Site