Courtney Barnett - Things Take Time, Take Time

REFINING THE BASICS THROUGH CHARMING CANDOR

Never say no. Courtney Barnett's latest effort, Things Take Time, Take Time received an ample number of mixed, apathetic reviews calling it bland, blasé, and indolent. And, truth be told, in some cases they're right. So much so that I put off listening, in fear of another halfhearted Lotta Sea Lice. Needless to say, Things Take Time surpassed all expectations, for it hones Barnett's Singer/Songwriter craft into a humble, near-unmissable 34 minutes. There are zero surprises, for better or worse, and the self-depreciating edge prominent on her notorious debut Sometimes I Sit & Think is entirely absent. Here, her wear, through an ever-increasing age, shows, settling down into territory that comforts amidst all the stress.

Things Take Time excels in this contemplative melody. Each of the ten songs - apart from the total dud 'Splendour' - marvels in faint corners, finding beauty in Barnett's creaky vocals and monotone delivery. At times, she's surrounded by lush environments, like on the peachy and growing 'Sunfair Sundown' or the outback Jangle Pop of 'Write A List Of Things To Look Forward To.' In each of these instances, excitement and energy circles Barnett as she questions reality around her. Lyrically, these two stand out as well, by forgoing the lovesick melodramatics found elsewhere. On the former, Barnett welcomes change in the life of someone hesitant towards it, while the latter, in a roundabout way, conveys the importance of life before it's all gone. Each are lovely examples of pick-up-and-play music. Simple songs with universal concepts and irresistible hooks.

Much of Barnett's aura hinges on this fact, which is why Things That Time's insistent focus on it works so well. At times, the simplicity becomes child's play, like on 'Before You Gotta Go's' hook or the melody of 'If I Don't Hear From You Tonight,' which finds a direct correlation to The White Stripes' 'We're Going To Be Friends.' However, elsewhere her anterior ambitions, though modest and relative, appear on tracks like 'Rae Street' and 'Turning Green.' On the slow-moving intro, Barnett paints splendid portraits of life during quarantine, appreciating life's simple beauties from a distance. As for 'Turning Green,' how the deceptively-plain pattering grows into a Velvet Underground-esque guitar solo bears some resemblance to any number of Yo La Tengo deep cuts, especially in conjunction with the crude follow-up track 'Take It Day By Day.'

Though hardly a game-changer, and criticisms can surely point to its threadbare state, the elementary charm and no-nonsense tracklist of Things Take Time has me seriously questioning whether this is my favorite Courtney Barnett album to date. The sheer consistency and serviceable enjoyability makes me think that's a foregone conclusion.