Courtney Barnett has released ‘Site Unseen,’ the second single from her forthcoming album Creature of Habit which arrives almost five years after its predecessor Things Take Time, Take Time. The song features the vocal contributions of Katie Crutchfield — founder of the alternative music project Waxahatchee — of which Barnett is a long-time admirer.
Unlike the album’s initial single ‘Stay In Your Lane,’ filled with lyrical bite and sonic grit reminiscent of Barnett’s earlier work, ‘Site Unseen’ feels more like a natural evolution of the softer yet more confident sound we have become increasingly familiar with in her recent releases. This feels indicative of an artist who has truly matured with their craft. Together, these two singles effectively juxtapose each other and hint at the tension between welcoming change and the tendency to seek comfort in routine — an intriguing theme the album will hopefully continue to unpack.
The track begins with a twangy slide guitar followed by a comfortable snare, ride groove that immediately puts you at ease and has the Americana genre written all over it. When the vocals emerge, the subtle reverb mixed with stereo spread evokes an intimate yet understated soundscape that remains engaging throughout. Higher backing harmonies provided by Waxahatchee act as a tonal counterpoint that serves the lighthearted yet philosophical musings that have become a signature of Barnett’s writing. The persistence of the line “Let’s figure out the rest another day” in the chorus rings of an unexpected pragmatism from Barnett considering her previous more emotionally turbulent lyrics.
‘Site Unseen’ maintains the strengths of Barnett’s conversational yet contemplative lyrical style and accompanies it with a relaxed yet sonically ambitious production that ensures the evolution of her sound in new and interesting ways. It effectively elaborates on the initial single’s themes in a neat, self-contained way that leaves me anticipating the whole album.
Creature of Habit releases on 27 March.
“Courtney Barnett at Rough Trade” by Paul Hudson is licensed under CC BY 2.0.