The fourth album by the Melbourne artist marks a return to the country-rock sound of her first two records. An album so radiant and luminous it could almost burn — perhaps a logical outcome given that it was recorded in Joshua Tree and Los Angeles, the songwriter’s new home after dissolving the Milk!Records label she ran in Australia. Times of change, then, something Courtney wryly jokes about from the very title of the album, Creature Of Habit.
The lyrics move in this direction, embracing change while also tracing indecision, procrastination, and impostor syndrome, all common, collective threats. Courtney reflects on it all with her usual blend of dry humor and depth: what a drama everything is, yet let’s admire the extraordinary nature of life and the human condition.
Stylistically, the record fluidly alternates between more tense and exuberant tracks like “Stay On Your Lane,” the electric singer-songwriter arpeggios of “Mostly Patient,” the 80s dream-pop of “Sugar Plum” and “Same” (with Cocteau Twins floating in the atmosphere), and the light psychedelia that washes over the instrumental passages.
Two songs stand out within the whole: “Wonder” and “Mantis.” The former is a timeless country-pop song with a touch of slacker-rock, luminous and lazy like a Saturday morning. The latter — the cornerstone of the record and the source of both the cover image and the title — inevitably recalls The War On Drugs. Built on a motorik rhythm with a hint of swing, it sustains a subtle crescendo in which one can sway for hours. Both shine for their outstanding production, as does the rest of the album, handled by Courtney and her usual partners: John Congleton, Stella Mozgawa (Warpaint), and Marta Salogni.
Like the mantis in the song, when the record ends we might remain in a posture of prayer, searching for meaning — or at least a sign of something — while deciding how to spend our time on something worthwhile. As for me, I would simply press play again.