Tell Me How You Really Feel

Last updated

Tell Me How You Really Feel
TellMeHowYouReallyFeel.jpg
Studio album by
Courtney Barnett
Released18 May 2018 (2018-05-18)
RecordedJuly 2017
StudioSoundpark, Northcote, Victoria, Australia
Genre
Length37:16
Label
Producer
Courtney Barnett chronology
Lotta Sea Lice
(2017)		Tell Me How You Really Feel
(2018)		 Things Take Time, Take Time
(2021)
Singles from Tell Me How You Really Feel
  1. "Nameless, Faceless"
    Released: 16 February 2018
  2. "Need a Little Time"
    Released: 16 March 2018 [1]
  3. "City Looks Pretty"
    Released: 19 April 2018
  4. "Sunday Roast"
    Released: 10 May 2018 [2]
  5. "Charity"
    Released: 23 August 2018 [3]

Tell Me How You Really Feel is the second studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett, released on 18 May 2018 by Barnett's Milk! Records, Mom + Pop Music, and Marathon Artists.

Contents

Tell Me How You Really Feel received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise in particular given to Barnett's more subdued musical style in comparison to previous releases. The album achieved commercial success, debuting and peaking at number 2 on the ARIA Charts, number 9 on the UK Official Albums Chart, and number 22 on the Billboard 200.

Recording and production

The album was recorded at Soundpark studios in Melbourne with producer Burke Reid, who also worked on Barnett's previous solo album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit . Barnett was joined on the album by her live rhythm section of Bones Sloane (bass, backing vocals) and Dave Mudie (drums, backing vocals), as well as guitarist Dan Luscombe of The Drones. The album also features guest appearances from the Deal sisters, Kim and Kelley. [4] The album was teased with a video shared across Barnett's social media outlets, in which Barnett tries out different instruments and sings snippets of new songs. [5] The album's lead single, "Nameless, Faceless", was released on 16 February 2018. [6] A music video for "Need a Little Time" directed by Danny Cohen was released on 15 March 2018. [7] "City Looks Pretty" was released on 19 April 2018 along with an accompanying music video directed by Barnett. [8] A video for "Sunday Roast" was released on 10 May 2018.

Music and lyrics

Tell Me How You Really Feel is characterised by casual guitar-driven rock songs generally arranged in verse-chorus structures. The guitar work ranges from noisy to subdued. Barnett's vocals are delivered in her distinctive laid-back "sing-speak" style with rich, rhyming lyrics. Among other themes, the album explores the challenges and frustrations of being a lyricist upon whom others have placed high expectations. [9] Barnett's style on this album has been compared to grunge bands Nirvana and Hole and to indie rock musicians Pavement and Liz Phair. [10]

Critical reception

Barnett performing in August 2018 in support of the album Courtney Barnett Brisbane 2018.jpg
Barnett performing in August 2018 in support of the album
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic? 7.7/10 [11]
Metacritic 80/100 [12]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
The A.V. Club C [14]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [15]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [16]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [17]
Pitchfork 7.4/10 [9]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [18]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [19]
Vice A− [20]

Upon its release, Tell Me How You Really Feel received generally positive reviews from critics. On Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 80, based on 28 reviews. [12] Laura Snapes of Pitchfork called the album "smaller, more introverted", and wrote that the lower energy yielded an "adventurous and nuanced" album that "tells stories of tenderness and frustration". [9] Jeremy Winograd of Slant Magazine said that although "it may lack some of the instant affability of 2015's Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit", that decision was by design". [21]

Writing for the Chicago Tribune , Greg Kot said that the songs felt "deceptively buoyant, effortless". [15] NME 's Dannii Leivers wrote that the album's charm lies in the "dark and melancholy" way that Barnett is "exposing her vulnerabilities and fears". [17] Nate Rogers of Flood Magazine wrote that "Barnett's [second] LP is her most somber to date – an emotional drop in tuning, in a sense. It's still littered with her Petty-esque sense of hooks – "Charity" and "Crippling Self-Doubt and a General Lack of Confidence" in particular are earworms par excellence – but lyrically, it's a raw one." [22]

Annie Zaleski of The A.V. Club considered the album's languid nature a detriment, saying that it "lacks the spry, buzzing energy of her debut", which causes it to be a "disappointing and muted record". [14] Multiple critics agreed, however, that "Crippling Self-Doubt and a General Lack of Confidence" was a standout song from the album, with Kot calling it a "little pop jewel" [15] and Zaleski referring to it as a "spiraling pop standout". [14]

Accolades

PublicationCountryAccoladeYearRank
Paste USThe 50 Best Albums of 2018 [23] 20183
The SkinnyUKThe 50 Best Albums of 201820188

At the ARIA Music Awards of 2018, Tell Me How You Really Feel won the Best Rock Album. [24]

At the J Awards of 2018, the album was nominated for Australian Album of the Year. [25]

At the 2019 Australian Independent Awards, Tell Me How You Really Feel won Best Independent Artist, Best Independent Album or EP. [26]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Courtney Barnett

No.TitleLength
1."Hopefulessness"4:48
2."City Looks Pretty"4:42
3."Charity"4:10
4."Need a Little Time"3:58
5."Nameless, Faceless"3:15
6."I'm Not Your Mother, I'm Not Your Bitch"1:50
7."Crippling Self-Doubt and a General Lack of Confidence"2:48
8."Help Your Self"3:02
9."Walkin' on Eggshells"4:01
10."Sunday Roast"4:44
Total length:37:16
Japan bonus tracks [27]
No.TitleLength
11."How to Boil an Egg"3:52
12."Swan St Swagger"2:45
Total length:43:57

Personnel

Credits adapted from Bandcamp. [4]

Musicians

Production

Charts

Chart (2018)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [28] 2
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [29] 44
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [30] 20
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [31] 37
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [32] 29
French Albums (SNEP) [33] 30
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [34] 24
Irish Albums (IRMA) [35] 36
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [36] 122
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [37] 10
Portuguese Albums (AFP) [38] 43
Scottish Albums (OCC) [39] 5
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [40] 55
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [41] 19
UK Albums (OCC) [42] 9
US Billboard 200 [43] 22
US Folk Albums (Billboard) [44] 1
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [45] 3
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) [46] 3
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [47] 4
US Vinyl Albums (Billboard) [48] 1

Related Research Articles

<i>Splinter</i> (The Offspring album) 2003 studio album by the Offspring

Splinter is the seventh studio album by American punk rock band the Offspring, released on December 9, 2003, by Columbia Records. It was the first album the band released without long-time drummer Ron Welty, who was fired from the band three weeks before the recording sessions started.

<i>More Than You Think You Are</i> 2002 studio album by Matchbox Twenty

More Than You Think You Are is the third studio album by American rock band Matchbox Twenty, released on November 19, 2002. The album is again a departure for the band as the album has more of a focus on harder rock than the band's two previous albums. Five singles were released from the album: "Disease", "Unwell", "Bright Lights", "Downfall", and "All I Need". "Downfall" was released only in the United States while "All I Need" was issued only in Australia.

<i>Americana</i> (The Offspring album) 1998 studio album by the Offspring

Americana is the fifth studio album by American rock band the Offspring, released on November 17, 1998, by Columbia Records. Following a worldwide tour in support of Ixnay on the Hombre (1997), the band commenced work on a new album in July 1998.

<i>Im Not Dead</i> 2006 studio album by Pink

I'm Not Dead is the fourth studio album by American singer and songwriter Pink. It was released on April 4, 2006, through LaFace Records. Following the commercial underperformance of her third studio album Try This (2003), Pink parted ways with Arista Records and began experimenting with new sounds and collaborating with new producers, and stated she named the album after having an epiphany about adult responsibilities and the realities of everyday life. Pink served as the executive producer of the project and contributions to the album's production came from several producers including Billy Mann, Butch Walker, Dr. Luke and Max Martin.

<i>Sevens</i> (album) 1997 studio album by Garth Brooks

Sevens is the seventh studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on November 25, 1997, and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, and on the Top Country Albums chart. To date, it is Brooks' last studio album to be certified diamond by the RIAA. The album also topped the Country album charts in Britain for several months and crossed over into the mainstream pop charts. His duet with Trisha Yearwood, "In Another's Eyes", won the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals at the Grammy Awards of 1998. Sevens was nominated for the Best Country Album Grammy the following year.

<i>Making Mirrors</i> 2011 album by Gotye

Making Mirrors is the third and most recent studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Gotye, released in Australia on 19 August 2011. In December 2011, it was announced that Making Mirrors was voted Triple J listeners' number-one album of 2011, making Gotye the first artist to win the Triple J album poll twice. It included the single "Somebody That I Used to Know", which reached and topped charts worldwide. In Poland, only one day after release, the album was certified platinum. The album won the 2013 Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album.

<i>+</i> (album) 2011 studio album by Ed Sheeran

+ ("Plus") is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released on 9 September 2011 by Asylum Records and Atlantic Records. The album is considered Sheeran's commercial breakthrough. He previously released five EPs independently. Jake Gosling and Sheeran produced the majority of the album, with additional production by American hip hop producer No I.D.

<i>How About I Be Me (and You Be You)?</i> 2012 studio album by Sinéad OConnor

How About I Be Me? is the ninth full-length album by Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor, released in Ireland on 2 March 2012 on Shamrock Solutions and 5 March 2012 in the United Kingdom on One Little Indian. The first single "The Wolf Is Getting Married" was released on 24 February in Ireland and got to number 40 for one week, accompanied by a video directed by Roman Rappak, lead singer of Breton.

<i>Tuskegee</i> (album) 2012 studio album by Lionel Richie

Tuskegee is the tenth and most recent studio album by American singer Lionel Richie. It was released by Mercury Records on March 5, 2012, in the United States. The album consists entirely of reinterpretations of previously released songs by Richie, each performed with a different guest artist, all of which are stars in the country music genre. Tuskegee is named after the Alabama city where Richie was born and later completed his undergraduate degree at Tuskegee Institute.

<i>A</i> (Agnetha Fältskog album) 2013 studio album by Agnetha Fältskog

A is the fifth English-language studio album by Swedish singer Agnetha Fältskog, a member of the group ABBA. It is her twelfth studio album overall.

<i>Love in the Future</i> 2013 studio album by John Legend

Love in the Future is the fifth studio album by American singer John Legend. The album was released on August 30, 2013, by GOOD Music and Columbia Records. The album, executive produced by Legend, Kanye West and Dave Tozer, features guest appearances from Kimbra, Rick Ross, Stacy Barthe and Seal. The album was supported by four singles, "Who Do We Think We Are", "Made to Love", "All of Me" and "You & I ". Love in the Future received generally positive reviews from music critics. The album debuted at number 4 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 68,000 copies in its first week.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Courtney Barnett</span> Australian singer-songwriter and rock guitarist

Courtney Melba Barnett is an Australian singer, songwriter, and musician. Known for her deadpan singing style and witty, rambling lyrics, she attracted attention with the release of her debut EP I've Got a Friend Called Emily Ferris in 2012. International interest came with the release of her EP The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas in 2013.

<i>Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit</i> 2015 studio album by Courtney Barnett

Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit is the debut studio album by Australian indie rock musician Courtney Barnett, released on 20 March 2015. The album received wide acclaim and was ranked as one of the best albums of 2015 by numerous publications.

<i>Star Wars</i> (Wilco album) 2015 studio album by Wilco

Star Wars is the ninth studio album by American alternative rock group Wilco. It was self-released for free on July 16, 2015, through wilcoworld.net. It is the second Wilco album that was released on their own label dBpm. A CD version of the album was released on August 21 and a vinyl version was released on October 13. The album emerged from Wilco recording sessions at The Loft that also resulted in their 2016 album Schmilco.

<i>Unleashed</i> (Skillet album)

Unleashed is the ninth studio album by American Christian rock band Skillet, released on August 5, 2016. The album was announced on May 20, 2016, and a lyric video was released for the track "Feel Invincible" at the same time on the band's YouTube channel. Six days later, the band released a lyric video for the track "Stars" on their YouTube channel. The album was certified gold on December 4, 2018, selling 500,000 copies.

<i>Lotta Sea Lice</i> 2017 studio album by Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile

Lotta Sea Lice is a collaborative studio album between Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile, released on October 13, 2017, on Matador, Marathon Artists and Milk! Records. The album has received positive critical reviews.

<i>Man of the Woods</i> 2018 studio album by Justin Timberlake

Man of the Woods is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake. It was released on February 2, 2018. The production of the album was handled by Timberlake, The Neptunes, Timbaland, Danja, J-Roc, Eric Hudson, and Rob Knox. The album sees Timberlake experimenting with elements of R&B, funk, pop, soul, and Americana. The album is named after his son Silas, whose name means "Man of the forest". The album's first single "Filthy" was released on January 5, 2018, followed by "Supplies" and "Say Something" on January 19 and 26, respectively. The album track "Man of the Woods" was also accompanied by a music video.

<i>All Nerve</i> 2018 studio album by the Breeders

All Nerve is the fifth full-length studio album by American alternative rock band the Breeders, released on March 2, 2018, 10 years after their previous album Mountain Battles (2008). A Stereogum article in June 2016 reported that the band was recording new material at their Ohio studio and in October 2017 they released the first single from the album titled "Wait in the Car". 4AD announced on January 9, 2018, that the new album would be made available on March 2, 2018, and released the album's second single, All Nerve on the same day. The album also marks the band's first in 25 years with their Last Splash lineup. Courtney Barnett guests on one song on the album; "Howl at the Summit".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Courtney Barnett discography</span>

The discography of Australian musician, singer and songwriter Courtney Barnett consists of three studio albums, one collaborative album, one live album, two extended plays, twenty-three singles and fourteen music videos. Barnett's debut studio album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit (2015), was certified Gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), and won her the awards for Best Female Artist and Breakthrough Artist – Release at the 2015 ARIA Awards.

<i>Things Take Time, Take Time</i> 2021 studio album by Courtney Barnett

Things Take Time, Take Time is the third studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett. It was released on 12 November 2021 by Milk! Records, Mom + Pop Music and Marathon Artists.

References

  1. ↑ Schatz, Lake (16 March 2018). "Courtney Barnett goes to space in video for new single "Need A Little Time": Watch". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  2. ↑ Coutts, Kylie (11 May 2018). "Daily Dose: Courtney Barnett, "Sunday Roast"". Paste . Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  3. ↑ Coulburn, Randall (23 August 2018). "Courtney Barnett Shares 16mm Video For 'Charity'". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Tell Me How You Really Feel". Bandcamp. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  5. ↑ DeVille, Chris (12 February 2018). "Courtney Barnett Appears To Tease New Album Tell Me How You Really Feel..." Stereogum.com. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  6. ↑ Gotrich, Lars (15 February 2018). "Courtney Barnett Announces New Album With A Collage Video For 'Nameless, Faceless'". NPR. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  7. ↑ "Courtney Barnett – Need A Little Time". YouTube . 15 March 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  8. ↑ Maicki, Salvatore (19 April 2018). "Courtney Barnett shares video for "City Looks Pretty"". The Fader. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 Snapes, Laura (22 May 2018). "Courtney Barnett: Tell Me How You Really Feel". Pitchfork . Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  10. 1 2 Pollard, Alexandra (18 May 2018). "Courtney Barnett: Tell Me How You Really Feel review – sharp barbs and no holds barred". The Guardian . Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  11. ↑ "Tell Me How You Really Feel by Courtney Barnett reviews". AnyDecentMusic? . Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  12. 1 2 "Tell Me How You Really Feel by Courtney Barnett Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  13. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Tell Me How You Really Feel – Courtney Barnett". AllMusic . Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  14. 1 2 3 Zaleski, Annie (17 May 2018). "Courtney Barnett lacks the energy to Tell Me How You Really Feel". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  15. 1 2 3 Kot, Greg (15 May 2018). "Review: Courtney Barnett lets modesty, empathy rule on 'Tell Me How You Really Feel'". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  16. ↑ Robertson, Derek (16 May 2018). "Album reviews: Courtney Barnett, Parquet Courts, Charles Watson, Ray LaMontagne" . The Independent . Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  17. 1 2 Leivers, Dannii (14 May 2018). "Courtney Barnett – 'Tell Me How You Really Feel' Review". NME . Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  18. ↑ Catchpole, Chris (July 2018). "No Laughing Matter". Q . No. 386. London. p. 119.
  19. ↑ Hermes, Will (18 May 2018). "Review: Courtney Barnett's Raging, Empathetic 'Tell Me How You Really Feel'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  20. ↑ Christgau, Robert (7 July 2018). "Robert Christgau on Merrill Garbus's Creative Compulsions". Vice . Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  21. ↑ Winograd, Jeremy (6 May 2018). "Courtney Barnett: Tell Me How You Really Feel". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  22. ↑ Rogers, Nate (1 May 2018). "100 Percent Happy: Courtney Barnett Is Letting It All Go". Flood. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  23. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2018". Paste. 26 November 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  24. ↑ Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) (28 November 2018). "And the ARIA Award Goes To..." Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  25. ↑ "The J Award 2018". Triple J . Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  26. ↑ Cashmere, Paul (26 July 2019). "Courtney Barnett and Gurrumul Share Best Independent Album or EP AIR Award". noise11. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  27. ↑ "Tell Me How You Really Feel". Traffic (in Japanese). 15 February 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  28. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  29. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  30. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  31. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  32. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  33. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  34. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  35. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Courtney Barnett". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  36. ↑ "Oricon Top 50 albums:2018-05-28". Oricon . Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  37. ↑ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 28 May 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  38. ↑ "Portuguesecharts.com – Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  39. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  40. ↑ "Top 100 Albumes – Semana 21: del 18.5.2018 al 24.5.2018" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España . Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  41. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  42. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  43. ↑ "Courtney Barnett Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  44. ↑ "Courtney Barnett Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  45. ↑ "Courtney Barnett Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  46. ↑ "Courtney Barnett Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  47. ↑ "Courtney Barnett Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  48. ↑ "Courtney Barnett Chart History (Vinyl Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.