Courtney Barnett Adapts on “Creature of Habit”

The city of angels inspires the Australian singer-songwriter’s new studio album

Courtney Barnett is an Australian national treasure. The singer-songwriter’s musical style places the listener within her wandering stream of consciousness, unsheathing layers of raw vulnerability and playful wit. Her 10+ year career isn’t limited to several full-length studio efforts. It also includes a handful of EPs, an instrumental ambient film score, and a collaborative album with Philadelphia’s ‘constant hitmaker’ Kurt Vile. 

Creature of Habit isn’t only the expected follow-up to 2021’s Things Take Time, Take Time. It’s the result of a turning tide in Barnett’s personal life. In 2023, her self-founded Milk Records imprint ceased operations, culminating in a relocation from her Melbourne grassroots to Los Angeles. As much as new beginnings are thrilling, the theme of breaking out of familiarity to allow for personal growth is this album’s underlying theme. 

Album opener “Stay In Your Lane” has a fuzzy edge that encapsulates underlying excitement, yet Stella Mozgawa’s quirky drumwork and Courtney’s trepidatious lyrics provide that uneasy parallel. Even while being submerged in a fresh environment, Barnett still longs for a slower, deliberate approach to life on “One Thing at a Time,” and almost gets comfortably acquainted by letting loose on a guitar solo during the song’s outro. Her self-awareness of having to take a leap of faith is evident on “Site Unseen,” which features sweet harmonies from Katie Crutchfield (better known as Waxahatchee). Amidst feelings of intense anxiety, the lyrics to “Mostly Patient’ feel like a letter to oneself expressing empathy and encouragement. Its sparse instrumental arrangement, featuring only guitar and vocals, is wonderfully intimate. 

Other tracks on Creature of Habit offer other universal sentiments. “Wonder” displays the lingering feelings that persist after a failed relationship and the constant pondering on perception. Listeners will find themselves in familiar territory on “Sugar Plum” and “Same.” The former alludes to her own self-doubt within her work, and the latter is about the exhaustion of mundane routines; the chorus is positively euphoric in every sense. “Great Advice” is almost the complementary anti-anthem to “Stay In Your Lane,” rejecting opinions and confidently embracing self-reliance. After enduring shapeshifting emotions and modes, “Another Beautiful Day” rolls the album into a hopeful finale. 

Creature of Habit’s undisputed highlight is “Mantis.” Inspired by seeing a praying mantis hanging upside down on her window during a fraughtful morning, its presence represented a good omen. The track became the ‘microcosmic centerpiece’ (as described by Barnett) of the album, and its literal source of inspiration found its way onto the album cover. The gatefold feels personal, featuring each song title written in Courtney’s handwriting and lyrics in a typewriter font. The printed inner sleeve outlines the intricate ‘who did what’ list for each track. It’ll come as a surprise that “One Thing at a Time” features Red Hot Chili Peppers bass slapper Flea! 

Heba Kadry did a solid job mastering this album digitally, but the vinyl equivalent would’ve sounded more engaging if a more hands-on lacquer cutter were involved. The bottom end is soft, but the underlined bass runs on “Another Beautiful Day” stand out the most. Even though “Site Unseen” has some nice sizzle on the ride cymbal, the overall EQ cutoff doesn’t allow for beneficial top-end air. Courtney’s vocals sound slightly subdued, getting lost in busy arrangements, particularly on “Stay In Your Lane,”  when they should command the center stage. They benefit more when the arrangements have space (“Wonder”) or are sparse (“Mostly Patient”). Instances where she doubletracks herself on “One Thing at a Time” and “Sugar Plum” give her voice a crunchy bite. 

Creature of Habit is as honest a record as any in Courtney Barnett’s discography. Its lyrical intent is blatant, and it further builds upon her jangly musical foundation with extra grit; a welcome return to the indie forefront!