ALBUM REVIEW: Courtney Barnett - Creature Of Habit

Kick-ass Australian Rock star Courtney Barnett returns from a five-year album hiatus with ‘Creature of Habit’. The album is strong, showcasing Barnett’s signature deadpan delivery and witty lyricism throughout. While it stays rooted in her Indie Rock foundations, there are subtle shifts in texture and influence, with country-tinged flourishes woven into the mix.

The record moves comfortably between punchy guitar-driven tracks and more melancholic, stripped-back ballads, showing the range and control she’s developed. A standout collaboration with Waxahatchee is particularly effective, leaning into a Country-inflected sound with warm harmonies that feel natural rather than forced.

She may have kept listeners waiting, but it feels like time well spent. Good things come to those who wait, and here the patience pays off. Tempos ebb and flow, but the album remains easy to sit with from start to finish. There’s no need to “get used to” it — listeners are placed in familiar, comforting territory from the outset.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDrPgaP3SJZKU&v=rPgaP3SJZKU

‘One Thing at a Time’ stands out in particular: catchy and deceptively poppy, it opens with Barnett’s trademark deadpan before blooming into something fuller and more expansive, with a guitar solo that lingers. Overall, it’s a more mellow, arguably more mature record, without losing her edge. ‘Stay in Your Lane’ feels closest to her earlier work, a reminder of the sharp, laconic voice that made her stand out in the first place, and why she remains one of Indie Rock’s most reliably distinctive voices.