I re-arrange
The letters on the page to spell your name.
Those, my friends, are lyrics from the song "History Eraser" by Melbourne, Australia's Courtney Barnett. Earlier in the song, she modestly sings "In my dreams I wrote the best song that I've ever written...can't remember how it goes". She must have remembered long enough to record it, because it is in fact "History Eraser". The song begins by channeling Nirvana's "About A Girl", which is appropriate since she fronts a three-piece band and plays guitar left-handed. The song recounts a night out partying and goofing around. The second verse starts out, "I found an Ezra Pound and made a bet that if I found a cigarette I'd drop it all and marry you. Just then a song comes on: "You can't always get what you want"- The Rolling Stones, oh woe is we, the irony!" The final verse closes out with another great line: "You said, 'I guarantee we'll have more fun, drink till the moon becomes the sun and in the taxi home I'll sing you a Triffids song'". I have no idea who The Triffids are, but that line is fantastic. And she says "home" with that awesome Australian accent.
I've meant to write a post about this album for a few months, but I dropped the ball with Sound Mind this summer. Technically speaking, this isn't an album. A Sea of Split Peas is actually comprised of two EP's; 2012's I've Got a Friend Called Emily Ferris and 2013's How To Carve a Carrot Into a Rose. Tracks 7-12 are from the former and 1-6 the latter. Back in the Spring, I randomly heard a few of these songs on WRUW and each time I'd think to myself, "That's a cool song". Then I'd forget about Courtney Barnett until the next time they played one of her songs. Then one night, Courtney Barnett was the musical guest on Jimmy Fallon and blew me away with her performance of "Avant Gardener". She was rockin' out on a left-handed Telecaster and I was hooked. The next day, I went out and bought the CD and she has quickly become my favorite new songwriter. Her greatest strength as a lyricist is clever wordplay. For example, the song "Avant Gardener" is about Courtney having an asthma attack and has the following lines:
* I'm breathing, but I'm wheezing. Feel like I'm emphysem-in
* The paramedic thinks I'm clever cos I play guitar. I think she's clever cos she stops people dying
* I take a hit from an asthma puffer. I do it wrong. I was never good at smoking bongs. I'm not that good at breathing in
Courtney is a unique songwriter, but she does have some obvious influences. "Don't Apply Compression Gently" has a decided Flying Nun vibe; David Kilgour in particular. "David" is a blues-y rocker that lifts the riff from Bowie's "The Jean Genie". However, the overriding influence is Nirvana. This is especially evident on the track "Lance Jr". It begins with that same "About A Girl" structure and the lyrics could be interpreted as being about Kurt Cobain.
The most personal song in the set is "Are You Looking After Yourself?" It's about her family worrying about her trying to make it as a musician. She sings, "I don't want no 9 to 5 telling me that I'm alive". Then she's asked, "Have you got some money saved...just in case you fail?" I think the moral of the story is if you have a passion for something don't have a backup plan...just do it. I hope it works for Courtney and she continues to write amazing songs that connect with people. Peace.
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