Hi everyone! It’s been a while between posts – the usual holiday rush has been compounded by record acquisition for Wow And Flutter Live! (my table-and-mortar vintage vinyl venture.) Sorry! I’m making a pre-New Year’s resolution to get back on the blog more often. Starting. Right. Now.
Every week I scan the new releases on Tidal on Fridays, and one which came out of left field (at least to me) was a live disc from the amazing Courtney Barnett – not just a live disc, but an MTV Unplugged set that was recorded in October with her band in Brunswick, Melbourne. I had no idea that Unplugged was even a thing anymore! Much less, anything this fantastic!
True to form, Barnett’s set is wide-ranging, interesting and certainly not ‘pedestrian at best.’ There are a couple of performances which can be slotted into the typical laid-back Unplugged sound (complete with cello and subdued band execution), like the rearranged Depreston and Avant Gardener, but the song selection doesn’t shy away from her edgier (but always honest) work, like Nameless Faceless from her last studio album Tell Me How You Really Feel. Which is really, let’s say it, is not your typical crowd-pleaser; but it’s not supposed to be. In that sense, the artistry here is at the same level as Nirvana’s classic MTV Unplugged In New York, (the undisputed champion in the series.)
One of the things I love about Courtney Barnett is that she’s pretty fearless and true to herself. Her interesting song selection here is made richer by the guest artists/friends she generously shares the stage with here – Paul Kelly, Evelyn Ida Morris, Marlon Williams – who are not as well-known on these shores as Courtney is, but whose performances enrich the proceedings immensely. And, there’s a Leonard Cohen song! And a previously unreleased Barnett song!
My weekly Friday listens on Tidal are a great way to “try before I buy.” I’m a firm believer in buying music I’m really invested in, because folks, artists make their money from selling discs (and touring of course) – nobody’s getting rich from streaming revenues. I’m definitely buying this one once it’s released in physical form. Very highly recommended.
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