Courtney Barnett’s latest album leaves behind the catchy melodies and witty lyrics she’s known for and charts new territory with striped back sounds and hypnotic repetition.
Courtney Barnett is no stranger to the soft strum of a guitar or a slow tempo. While she may be known for her indie-rock classics such as “Avant Gardener” or “Pedestrian At Best,” Barnett has been writing ballads since her first EP was released in 2014. But songs off her newest album, End of the Day, evoke a sense of peacefulness and wonder like no other song off her discography has before. Originally recorded to accompany her 2021 documentary Anonymous Club, this instrumental album found a life of its own when it was released earlier this month with a biophilic visual accompaniment. No vocals to be found, this album is carried solely by the aesthetic reverberations of Barnett’s guitar and the gratifying synth tones and percussion of Stella Mozawa, fellow collaborator on this soundtrack.
When heard in the background of Anonymous Club, the songs off of End of the Day fit almost flawlessly with the sensations stirred up by Barnett’s intimate video-diaries. In the documentary, fans are given a close up of her life on tour, her creative process, and the mental toll of having fame magnify her insecurities. The Guardian’s Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen described it as, “so intensely personal it almost borders on claustrophobic, as we enter the anxious mind of one of Australia’s most loved contemporary rock musicians.” There’s a reason that the soundtrack is able to authentically capture Barnett’s wandering, melancholy mind. It was improvised to a final-cut of the film, allowing the songs to evoke the precise emotions Barnett is feeling in each scene.
Just released on streaming platforms, the captivating power of the melodies maintain their weight even outside their original purpose. The opening track is “Start Somewhere.” It begins with a wavering yet ever growing pitch that sucks you in while simultaneously throwing you off balance. The guitar comes in and out, never acting as more than a hovering buzz or a wandering thought. The tune holds a distant feeling of longing when the texture thins to quivering chords, but keeps a sense of hope alive by never going fully silent. “Start Somewhere” flows effortlessly into “Life Balance.” In this song, each guitar note is accented and sustained, yet the space between them feels devastatingly empty. The pulses behind them are grainier and have lost the dream-like quality they held just one song prior.
Slight changes like these are able to completely shift the tone while keeping the songs minimalistic and cohesive. They fit so seamlessly that noticing a change in my own mood was the only signal that a new song had begun. Sustained notes flow from one song to the next, essentially making the album appear to be one forty minute song to the unknowing ear. This aspect makes the soundtrack perfect for meditation, the calming yet thought-provoking pulses and unbroken melodies make it almost inevitable to slip into deep contemplation.
Shows on Courtney Barnett’s upcoming tour, beginning October 11th, will each feature two sets from versatile guitarist. One with the instrumental music from End of the Day and the other with songs from the rest of her music catalog. The two sets will be sure to provide both a holistic image of the musician as well as summon a contrasting set of emotions from its audience. The peaceful, spiritual moment brought on by End of the Day will give way to a rock concert that the crowd will have to quickly switch gears to enjoy.