Australian guitarist/singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett is back and has gifted us, plebs, with a new track, “Write a List of Things to Look Forward To”. Taken from her latest album, “Things Take Time, Take Time” the single cloak’s her witty, dark lyricism with a happy fixture of folky guitar and letter making.
Sit beside me, watch the world burn. We’ll never learn we don’t deserve nice things. And we’ll scream, self-righteously. We did our best, but what does that really mean?
Courtney Barnett
Much like the Smiths, Courtney’s lyrics at certain moments paint a picture different from what the melody represents. Combining imagery of a man dying and a baby born is depressing, yet, important to understand that the world and yourself will keep on persevering. In hindsight, Barnett portrays pessimistic optimism through a modern lens and is ok with the bad as long as she can look forward to the good. If the good means “looking forward to the next letter that I’m gonna get from you” (Courtney Barnett), then so be it; that’s enough for her.
Nonetheless, when you Separate the vocals from the track, the song is heartwarmingly optimistic in a time when there is so much fear on the planet. The chords used throughout the single are delightfully jangly, with general happy vibes layered throughout. Because the drumming remains consistent throughout the single, we, the audience, fixate more on the songwriter’s lush guitar work. This is especially true at the ending with a solo that amps up the twang and finishes the song with a bang. In summary, with each listen of “Write a List of Things to Look Forward To,” you never leave feeling dull or sad but energized and hopeful about the future.
With Barnett’s newest album ‘Things Take Time, Take Time’ Out on November 11th, be sure to hear more at Glasse factory.
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