Albums to watch

Tell Me How You Really Feel

Courtney Barnett

Tell Me How You Really Feel

Second album from the Melbourne indie rock singer-songwriter working again with producer Burke Reid

ADM rating[?]

7.7

Label
Mom+Pop
UK Release date
18/05/2018
US Release date
18/05/2018
  1. 9.1 |   Pretty Much Amazing

    On her thrilling second LP, Barnett abandons third-person intricacy for broader statements
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  2. 9.0 |   Slant Magazine

    Barnett's impossibly effortless tunesmithing remains a preternatural force on Tell Me How You Really Feel
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  3. 9.0 |   The Music

    Fucking masterful
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  4. 8.7 |   Gig Soup

    By taking the time to collect herself, Barnett has crafted a record that connects with listeners on a deeply personal, and heretofore unfamiliar, level, and it feels so, so good
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  5. 8.5 |   Under The Radar

    Everything one would expect from the Sydney-born garage-rocker
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  6. 8.3 |   Consequence Of Sound

    The Aussie remains an introspective songwriter who listeners can also air guitar along to
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  7. 8.0 |   The Guardian

    The matter-of-fact malaise of her debut remains, but where before it felt aimless, here it has hardened into something pointed and direct
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  8. 8.0 |   NOW

    Her most inward-looking album but also one that pulls back to engage with bigger political and cultural conversations more directly than we’re used to from her
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  9. 8.0 |   Rolling Stone

    Mixes penetrating observation, wry humor and deep empathy on a modest masterpiece of an LP
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  10. 8.0 |   God Is In The TV

    Is it reassuring to hear these anthems to misery coming from one of the best songwriters in the world? Absolutely
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  11. 8.0 |   No Ripcord

    Barnett isn't just trying to heal herself; she's also advocating for others to do the same
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  12. 8.0 |   Exclaim

    An artist who has grown more introspective as a writer, more outspoken as a singer and more imaginative (and a lot louder) as a guitarist
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  13. 8.0 |   The Independent

    Witty anecdotes and black humour suits Barnett well, but her more serious, unguarded side is equally captivating
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  14. 8.0 |   The FT

    Consolidates Barnett’s reputation as a sharp, thoughtful songwriter
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  15. 8.0 |   DIY

    Lyrically the most direct and honest Courtney has been to date
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  16. 8.0 |   Clash

    After the cheap - but definitely magical – thrills of her debut, this is a slow-burning triumph
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  17. 8.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    The qualities that Barnett got pigeonholed with on her earlier EPs and debut – 'slacker, grunge, stream of consciousness' do appear, but only as slivers in a grander offering that requires a palate willing to savour the dish
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  18. 8.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    At its heart, Tell Me How You Really Feel offers a sense of encouragement, finding reassurance in transience and seeking out a little beauty amidst chaos and turmoil. After all, isn't that really all any of us want to do?
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  19. 8.0 |   The Skinny

    There's no sign of a sophomore slump on Tell Me How You Really Feel, an album that doesn't better Courtney Barnett's stellar debut, but certainly does no harm to her burgeoning oeuvre
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  20. 8.0 |   Earbuddy

    Every song is enjoyable, though not a revolution
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  21. 8.0 |   musicOMH

    A wonderfully curated record, which manages to be both cynical and whimsical at the same time
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  22. 8.0 |   Mojo

    An album that's warm, honest, awash with tuneage, never corny, and really rather marvellous. Print edition only

  23. 8.0 |   Uncut

    It feels as if she now trusts the power of her music to imbue even cliche with emotional power
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  24. 8.0 |   Q

    Her debut album's primary coloured backdrop having been swapped out for a richer, more nuanced palette. Print edition only

  25. 8.0 |   NME

    The queen of slacker cool exposes her guts on her dark and melancholy second album
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  26. 8.0 |   Loud And Quiet

    The self-awareness and incisive perception that truly define it have been there all along: they just burn brighter and ring louder the bigger her platform becomes.
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  27. 7.5 |   Spectrum Culture

    Tell Me How You Really Feel is an album that doesn’t pander
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  28. 7.5 |   The 405

    Courtney manages to strike a balance between sombre acoustic music and guitar heavy grunge. Utilizing the balance to create atmosphere from song to song
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  29. 7.4 |   Pitchfork

    Smaller, more introverted than her debut. It’s tentative but with a purpose, songs about what it means to not have—or need—the right words for everything
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  30. 7.0 |   PopMatters

    Barnett twists her style just enough to dig into life's challenges
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  31. 6.0 |   All Music

    Everything about Tell Me How You Really Feel seems muted
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  32. 6.0 |   Punk News

    If her lyricism isn’t quite as giddy and overflowing as her debut, her approach to songwriting has developed into a comfortable confidence
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  33. 6.0 |   The Observer

    Melbourne’s contemplative indie rock star addresses the trials of squaring love with life on the road on her direct and downbeat second album
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  34. 6.0 |   The Arts Desk

    'Nameless, Faceless' could yet become an anthem for the #MeToo movement
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  35. 5.0 |   A.V. Club

    A disappointing and muted record that never quite lives up to its potential
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