Courtney Barnett/Kurt Vile: Lotta Sea Lice [MATADOR]

Why you'll love it

Two of indie rock's most easygoing guitar heroes trade verses, songs and solos across nine tracks. It includes their takes on Belly's "Untogether" and Jen Cloher's "Fear Is Like A Forest."

About the album

Courtney Barnett from Melbourne and Kurt Vile from Philadelphia both write songs that sound like a friend thinking out loud, so it made sense that the friendship would end up on tape. They announced in June 2017 that they'd been jamming together and planned to tour, and the album followed in October on Matador, Marathon Artists and Barnett's own Milk! Records.

"Over Everything" sets the pace, two voices passing a long, lazy melody back and forth over tangled guitars, and "Continental Breakfast" is a warm little song about friends in different time zones. Barnett takes the lead on "Peepin' Tom," a reworking of a Vile song, and they cover Belly and Barnett's partner Jen Cloher. Mick Harvey, Mick Turner, Jim White and Stella Mozgawa fill out the band, with Greg Calbi on mastering.

They toured it with a backing band called The Sea Lice and played an NPR Tiny Desk Concert that December. The title came out of a Rolling Stone interview, which is as good a reason as any to name an album after a small marine parasite.

Also at Kops: more Courtney Barnett on vinyl · browse Alternative

Tracklist

Listen

On Matador / Marathon Artists / Milk! (cat# OLE-1148-1), the 2017 album.