Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile - 'Lotta Sea Lice'

7/10

Despite both Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile being incredibly well-suited for each other, even before announcing their team up, their collaborative project still seemed like a lovely surprise. With both artists already proving themselves very proficient in the world of woozy, laid-back indie-rock, bringing them together just seems like the right thing to do, and thankfully they have shown that they can work just as well together as they do separately.

While each of their solo works is usually a mix of high-tempo riffs and more soothing numbers, 'Lotta Sea Lice' sees them prefer to stick to the more sombre side of their songwriting style. The result is a mild yet enjoyable release of soft crooning and easygoing guitar work all wrapped up in a succinct and cohesive direction. Tracks like 'Continental Breakfast' and 'Over Everything' seem more like a homage to their influencers more than anything else. The sounds of Tom Petty and Johnny Cash seem far more apparent here and makes for a familiar yet fresh sounding release.

It probably goes without saying that you needn't be much of a fan of either act to enjoy this new release. This calming full-length is as accessible as the pair have ever been, and while still marginally different from their own material, still has enough of that warm and inviting sound to keep you listening throughout.

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