he Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett released her fourth solo studio album on Friday, March 27. Barnett is an indie rocker from down under who has been making waves since her debut EP in 2012 “I’ve Got a Friend Called Emily Ferris.”
Now five years removed from her last solo album with a film score wedged in the middle, she’s back with “Creature of Habit.”
The album opens with the song “Stay In Your Lane,” The track opens with a fun drumbeat and is joined by the heavy distorted riff that persists for the entirety of the song. Barnett’s deadpan delivery kicks off with the same line three times in a row: “I know you’re tryin’ to help me.” The line also comes back at the end of the track. The song’s chorus utilizes the lead vocals and background to create an instantly catchy chorus. Then comes a pretty solid guitar solo showing off Barnett’s musicianship.
The following track “Wonder” is more jangly and sweet. It is a very pretty song with a chorus you’d be shocked nobody had ever written already. “And I wonder / What you say when I’m not around.” It’s such a simple chorus; I can’tbelieve it took until 2026 for it to be written. The harmonies on the last chorus are the highlight of the song for me.
Track 3 “Site Unseen” features the country artist Waxahatchee. She primarily is here for backing vocals and harmonizing. Those said harmonies are beautiful, and the two have great chemistry. This song is great; I just wish it waslonger, or they collaborated more on the album. This track is very replayable and has a great ending bridge.
“Mostly Patient” is a more laid-back calming track. It does its job to keep listeners from thinking each song sounds the same. It is a perfectly fine track.
“One Thing At A Time” picks back up with a punchy beat with heavier guitars. The song’s highlight is the almost two-and-a-half-minute guitar solo to the outro.
Following that we get “Mantis.” The song’s title refers to the album cover. “Mantis” is a very steady indie rock cut with a sweet chorus where the background vocals and harmonies shine once again. This album so far has been killing it in that area.
Next up on the track list is “Sugar Plum,” which by itself is a perfectly fine track. However, now that we’re at seven tracks, I’ve become a bit numb to the slightly upbeat indie rock tracks. “Sugar Plum” is not a bad track, but the album starts to get repetitive at this point.
The next track “Same” ironically switches things up a bit. It’s a big highlight of the album for me and helps keep it fresh. We get a nice taste of synths on the track post-chorus. Also, there was an excellent vocal performance on the chorus. “Same” keeps things relatively the same but makes it more colorful.
“Great Advice” is the next track. Barnett’s deadpan delivery really shines here in the verses. The way her talk-singing flows with the instrumental is great. The driving guitars continue to shine here, with some cowbell in the outro —who doesn’t love some cowbell?
The final song on the album, titled “Another Beautiful Day,” is the longest song on the album. This is another indie rock track with a passible chorus. Even though it’s over five minutes, which in the context of this album feels long, it doesn’t feel like it drags on. It’s a nice breezy song to put on, maybe on a beautiful day.
Barnett is not trying to reinvent the wheel on this album, and that’s okay. “Creature of Habit” delivers a clean and sharp 10-track album that doesn’t overstay its welcome. It has some alright-to-great indie rock tracks that offer an easy, effortless listen. I’m sure I’ll return to these tracks in the future.
Rating: 3.5/5