No, not that Courtney & Kurt…
[Video][Website]
[4.57]
Alex Clifton: In a lot of ways, this is a creative partnership made in heaven: Barnett and Vile are both dry observers of human life who are also not the most melodic people on earth, but somehow tap into a more primal feeling. “Over Everything” meanders and flows easily, lacking a clear focus but still calling the listener in. While not a particularly intimate song, Barnett and Vile play so well together that I feel like I’ve intruded upon a particularly good jam session. At six minutes long, though, “Over Everything” definitely drags. It’s a nice bit of self-indulgent indie rock that certainly stands out from a crowded field, but also might be a bit much for some.
[6]
Ian Mathers: Nothing against either of them, but nothing strongly for either. Just about as pleasantly rocky and rolling as I’d have guessed, but it’s probably not a great sign that I find the lengthy mostly-instrumental coda the most compelling bit, right?
[5]
Alfred Soto: Serving this plate of Americana country ham and eggs is Courtney Barnett’s worst decision, and putting up with Kurt Vile at the other microphone is the second worst.
[2]
Micha Cavaseno: Look, I try to be forgiving to indie singer-songwriters. I understand I grew out of a lot of them, and it’s not their fault because they want to try and perfect their songs… But I got Kurt Vile brazenly bragging about using a blues scale as a lyric, and I’m supposed to act like this sort of wink at the camera gesture isn’t pedantic. Meanwhile Barnett, look, much respect to her, she’s getting dragged down into a pointless 6-minute strum-a-long babble when she can actually make concise singles and doesn’t need to mimic her pal’s corny use of bad notes as “authentic character, maaaaan.” Pathetic.
[1]
Thomas Inskeep: Strummy and pleasant enough; Barnett sounds better than Vile.
[5]
Hannah Jocelyn: As a lark, I’ve been working on one of those “What Your Favorite Album of 2017 Says About You” lists, using this as inspiration, and my placeholder for Lotta Sea Lice is as follows; “you’ve made the joke about their first names several times already, but no one minds cause you’re so damn likable.” One thing I always enjoy about those sorts of lists is the thinly veiled metaphors for the actual album, and both have distinctive enough styles that I can feel comfortable sharing that pre-emptive entry. Both have major contributions to the indie rock canon, whether Courtney’s “Pedestrian at Best” or Kurt’s casually perfect “Pretty Pimpin'”, and both share the whole long-haired quirky slacker thing. The basis for that entry was friends of my own that can be goofballs but can also be genuinely kind, wise people when needed. The way Kurt and Courtney (heh) trade eight-bar verses about the songwriting process suggests they might be that way, too. All they have to do is sit in gorgeously photogenic locations, lip-sync each others’ lines, and make awkward attempts at harmonizations – they’ve already earned my trust. Their combined power could create something groundbreaking, but it’s more than okay if they simply don’t feel like it. They’re so damn likable!
[8]
Josh Love: Unsurprisingly, Barnett and Vile seem intent on making the most stoned album for white people of 2017. I usually don’t mind Vile’s burnt-out ramblings because his music is so lovely, but “Over Everything” just kind of chugs in place for six minutes. Meanwhile, Barnett’s always been great at taking mundane fodder and turning it into something wry and powerful, but here she never bothers to take the car out of the garage. Both artists project an outward shambling nonchalance that belies their keen ears and eyes, and as a result I still have high hopes for this collaboration, but it’s a real thin line between relaxed and slapdash.
[5]