Queens of Alt Country Courney Barnett and Waxahatchee Release “Site Unseen”
Courtney Barnett is so back, just in time for the increasing popularity of the alternative country sub-group “indie twang.” With artists like MJ Lenderman, Wednesday and Merce Lemon making waves in the music scene right now, there’s no better time for Barnett to resurrect from her brief hiatus. She returns with “Site Unseen,” the second single released from her upcoming album Creature of Habit. Lots has happened since the Aussie alt-country rocker released her last vocal EP Things Take Time, Take Time, four and a half years ago, including the retirement of her label Milk! and a huge move from Australia to L.A.
“Site Unseen,” which released Jan. 20, features Barnett’s Americana-rock kindred spirit Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee), a brilliant choice for the song’s alt-country sound.
“I tried three separate times over two years to track this song, and each time it either wasn’t finished or didn’t sound right and each time we had to start again,” Barnett told Flood Magazine about the joint efforts in “Site Unseen.” “I kept hearing this really high harmony in my head, so the fourth and final version, I asked Katie if she’d be into singing it with me. I’m a big Waxahatchee fan. I really love Katie’s songwriting and her voice, so it was an honor to have her sing on ‘Site Unseen.’”
Through the song, Barnett appears to be opening herself to the concept of change, indicated through lyrics like, “Always getting in my own way / Is it too late to make any changes? / Letting go of everything that might’ve been / I know it seems a lot, it’s only for a year” towards the beginning of the song.
Through gentle alt-country tracking and the warmth of both Crutchfield and Barnett’s vocals, the Aussie songstress falls into moments of reflection through the song: “Questioning all the choices that I ever made / Letting go of everything that might’ve been / And if we like it here / We’ll stay another year.”
As the song continues in an upbeat blur of motivation, it becomes clear that Barnett is looking for something new within her lyricism. “Site Unseen” feels like the beginning of something exciting, like standing at the edge of what could be and what could have been. With the release of the single, Barnett has also announced a North American tour to celebrate Creature of Habit, out March 27.
