Review Summary: music 4 crieng and lafing u like?
Country and folk-influenced garage-rock singer-songwriter, Courtney Barnett, releases her debut album, and it's her best release yet. Depicting stories more detailed and wordy than my previous sentence, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, flows from light-grunge on the standout track, "Pedestrian at Best", to dramatically humorous and larger-than-life scenarios on, "Elevator Operator", and, "Aqua Profonda!", among others. Along with these songs, another significant portion of the album consists of mundane and lonely portrayals of young depression and insecurity. Insecurity is really the keyword here.
On, "Elevator Operator", Courtney Barnett sings about, well, an elevator operator (who I'd like to believe is representative of herself), whose only wish is to be free of obligations, and spectate the world. On, "Pedestrian at Best", Courtney Barnett sings about not wanting to be idolized, because, as she said, "I'll only disappoint you", and on, "Aqua Profonda!", she sings about trying to impress a boy (whom she didn't even know) at the pool, and almost drowning. On, "An Illustration of Loneliness (Sleepless in New York)", Courtney dreams and rambles about her past and future, what her crush or significant other could be doing at the time, and ultimately, boredom.
Although this album initially comes off very childish and immature (lyrically), maybe that's just a product of the way we frame the themes off this album in our regular life. Regardless of age, we all get bored, we all get depressed over petty things, and we all have embarrassing moments. Coupled with refreshingly changing instrumentation, this album is a great soundtrack for a lonely night.
"We all self-conscious, I'm just the first to admit it." -Kanye West; Well, I guess that would make Courtney second.
Rating: 9.0/10 Highly Recommended
Best Song(s): "Elevator Operator", "Pedestrian at Best", "An Illustration of Loneliness (Sleepless in New York)", "Depreston", "Aqua Profonda!", "Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go to the Party", "Kim's Caravan"
Worst Song(s): "Boxing Day Blues"
