The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas
Courtney Barnett makes jangly, rumpled indie-rock in the vein of Pavement or early Dylan: Wordy, wry, and anchored by the kind of poetic clarity you can only get from looking at the world askew. Peas collects EPs released in 2012 and 2013 — an informal introduction to an artist who probably has more to offer. Its music tends to be simple, its narratives more surreal: On the highly quotable “Avant Gardener,” an attempt to conquer a lazy day by planting a few seeds devolves into a panic attack, complete with ambulance. “The paramedic thinks I’m clever ’cause I play guitar,” Barnett deadpans. “I think she’s clever ’cause she stops people from dying.” Both have a point.