by Audrey Farris ‘25

Courtney Barnett is back with her first album since 2018, Things Take Time, Take Time, released on November 12 right before she embarks on an American concert tour. The new album had a predominantly mellow tone which is reminiscent of her first album, and all of the songs are filled with twinkly guitar, groovy bass lines, and airy vocals. It leads to a pleasant sound, but unfortunately a shallow album that is missing the angst that is commonplace in her previous music. It’s bold for musical artists to change their sound, but the risk doesn’t pay off this time for Barnett.

‘Rae Street’, the album’s lead single, touches on daily deep thoughts and struggling with finding your place in the world. This song is definitely one of the better and more engaging songs on the album. The lyricism is especially relatable to most after living through a pandemic and worldwide quarantine, leading many to have to learn how to cope with being alone. ‘Sunfair Sundown’ has a similar theme. Honestly, the whole album does. This does help with creating a coherent message, but it also adds to all the songs generally sounding the same. Some specific songs that sounded identical in the album are ‘Here’s The Thing’ & ‘Before You Gotta Go’ and ‘If I Don’t Hear From You Tonight’ & ‘Write A List of Things To Look Forward To.’

Things Take Time’s strongest moment is ‘Turning Green’, the fifth song on the album. The song starts off with a repeating synth bassline, and layers with hand claps and shouty vocals. The absolute best part is when Barnett starts playing a strong guitar solo about two-thirds of the way through, and the sound is a return to the angst missing in the majority of the other songs. Barnett’s first album, The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas, offers a mellow tone while still incorporating that edge in every song, whether it was in the lyrics or in the instrumentalists. 

Even though this album isn’t as strong as her others, what she does next will be interesting to see. Even though for half this album it doesn’t work, seeing Barnett experiment with her sound builds anticipation for her next release. Things Take Time is worth the listen, but go into it with an open mind and not expecting much, otherwise, you may be let down as well. 

Grade: C