Courtney Barnett and Honeyblood - Live

My recent run of gigs continued last night with a trip to the small Waterfront Studio in Norwich. Support for the evening came from Scottish duo Honeyblood, who made a fine old racket and justifiably went down a storm with an engaged audience. A strong set of songs, effortlessly delivered.




I featured Courtney Barnett back in February (here) and am very familiar with her material, but I was totally unprepared for just what a force she and her band have become after a few months on the road. Barnett now fronts what, at times, can only be described as a power trio. They truly were a sight and sound to behold and the clutch of new songs scattered through the set from her upcoming debut LP, show absolutely no dip in quality. Miss Courtney and her band at your peril - they won't be playing such intimate venues for very much longer.

Here's an audience recording of 'Depreston', from Brighton last week. A solo performance of a new song with a twist in the tail.

Courtney Barnett

'A Sea of Split Peas' compiles the first two EPs by Australian singer/songwriter Courtney Barnett. 'History Eraser', originally released on 'How to Carve a Carrot Into a Rose', the second of those EPs, seeped into my consciousness late last year, before totally winning my heart with the song's final line, which namechecks a band very close to my heart. Courtney's lyrics are conversational and the recordings themselves are equally direct, allegedly just three passes of each track were made, the best being selected for inclusion on the finished product. Barnett is apparently anxious to ensure that this collection is not misconstrued as her debut album, which should follow later in 2014. Can't wait.

Check out 'A Sea of Split Peas' in full here.