Courtney Barnett / Blank Realm

How to Boil and Egg b/w Jesus Part 2

scums stats: thought I read somewhere that there we less than 200 of these, but now I can’t find anywhere that says that

So I had sought this one out HARD. Was willing to pay whatever the going rate is ($100 and up?) but the sucker just would not show up. Even having been released somewhat recently, when a newish record doesn’t turn up on the secondary market, you know it’s a little extra special.

After at least a year, I had the “duh” realization that I could just email Courtney to see if she had an extra copy. The single was a co-release between her label Milk! and another Aussie label called Bedroom Suck. A series which NONE have every sold on Discogs. I’m impressed.

Always so nice, Courtney happily sent one over. And it’s taken me months to listen to it. Now I want them all.

What we’ve got here is a bouncy instrumentation (which feels somewhat uncommon in her oeuvre) coupled with her standard self-addressed, lazily delivered vocals. “How To Boil and Egg” is 100% welcome and enjoyable. The song appears as the bonus track on the Japanese version of “Tell Me How You Really Feel” and I’m still shocked that Japan still has tricked the world into continue CD bonus tracks for their territory.

Blank Realm is a drippy, bass-propelled synth exploration as equally upbeat as Courtney’s flip side. the “Part 2” is winningly clever and overall, I’ve got no complaints.

Not since the Om/Six Organs of Admittance single have a felt two artists/songs compliment each other so well.

Heavy black paper with silk-screened artwork gives this the feeling of extra importance. Thank god for friends who also run record labels, makes the world feel like a smaller place when trading records with them.