Lotta Sea Lice

Lotta Sea Lice is a collaborative studio album between Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile, released on October 13, 2017, on Matador, Marathon Artists and Milk! Records. The album has received positive critical reviews.

Lotta Sea Lice
Studio album by Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile
Released	October 13, 2017 (2017-10-13)
Recorded	January 4, 2016 – March 8, 2017[1]
Studio	Newmarket Studios in North Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Genre	Alternative rock[2] indie rock[3]
Length	44:33
Language	English
Label	Matador, Marathon Artists, Milk!
Courtney Barnett chronology
Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit (2015) Lotta Sea Lice (2017) Tell Me How You Really Feel (2018)
Kurt Vile chronology
B'lieve I'm Goin Down... (2015) Lotta Sea Lice (2017) Bottle It In (2018)

Recording

Barnett and Vile announced that they had jammed together and decided to go on a mutual tour on June 7, 2017.^[4] They announced the release date and lead single "Over Everything" on August 30.^[5]

Reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	7.6/10[6]
Metacritic	79/100[7]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The A.V. Club	B[8]
Entertainment Weekly	A−[9]
The Guardian	[10]
The Irish Times	[11]
Mojo	[12]
Pitchfork	7.6/10[13]
Rolling Stone	[14]
The Times	[15]
Uncut	8/10[16]

The album received three out of five stars from AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine, who praised some of the performance and fun of the album but concluded, "As they're both charismatic singers with a way with an elliptical melody, it's pleasant enough, but by the time its 45 minutes wrap up, Lotta Sea Lice feels like a party where the hosts are having a much better time than their guests."^[2]

Accolades

Publication	Accolade	Year	Rank
BBC Radio 6 Music	Albums of the Year	2017	6[17]
FLOOD	Best Albums of 2017	2017	9[18]
Fopp	Best Albums of 2017	2017	3[19]
Paste	50 Best Albums of 2017	2017	5[20]
Rolling Stone	50 Best Albums of 2017	2017	15[3]
Rough Trade	Albums of the year 2017	2017	35[21]
Uncut	75 Best Albums of 2017	2017	8[22]
MOJO	Top 50 Albums of 2017	2017	16[23]
Uproxx	Best Albums of 2017	2017	19[24]
Piccadilly Records	Top 100 Albums of 2017	2017	28[25]
Noisey	100 Best Albums of 2017	2017	29[26]
Drowned in Sound	Favourite Albums of 2017	2017	86[27]

Track listing

1. "Over Everything" (Kurt Vile) – 6:19
2. "Let It Go" (Courtney Barnett) – 4:33
3. "Fear Is Like a Forest" (Jen Cloher) – 4:47
4. "Outta the Woodwork" (Barnett) – 6:21
5. "Continental Breakfast" (Vile) – 4:53
6. "On Script" (Barnett) – 3:59
7. "Blue Cheese" (Vile) – 4:37
8. "Peepin' Tom" (Vile) – 4:14
9. "Untogether" (Tanya Donelly) – 4:50

Personnel

• Courtney Barnett – lead and backing vocals, guitars, piano
• Kurt Vile – lead and backing vocals, guitars
• Callum Barter – mixing, engineering
• Greg Calbi – mastering
• Mick Harvey – guitar, keyboards
• Rob Laakso – electric bass, VI bass, baritone guitar, keyboards
• Alex Landragin – guitar
• Jade McInally – backing vocals
• Stella Mozgawa – drums
• Dave Mudie – drums, backing vocals
• Jess Ribeiro – guitar, backing vocals
• Bones Sloane – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Mick Turner – guitar
• Jim White – drums

Tour dates

The duo assembled a backing band called The Sea Lice composed of Janet Weiss, Stella Mozgawa, Rob Laakso, and Katie Harkin, with Jen Cloher as an opening act for all dates.^[4] The artists donated $1 from every ticket sale to the American Civil Liberties Union.^[4]

• October 11 – House of Blues, San Diego, California, United States
• October 14 – Cathedral Sanctuary at Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles, California, United States
• October 15 – Orpheum Theare, Los Angeles, California, United States
• October 18 – Fox Oakland Theatre, Oakland, California, United States
• October 20 – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland, Oregon, United States
• October 21 – Moore Theatre, Seattle, Washington, United States
• October 22 – The Showbox, Seattle, Washington, United States
• October 25 – Palace Theatre, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States
• October 26 – Rockefeller Chapel, Chicago, Illinois, United States
• October 27 – Thalia Hall, Chicago, Illinois, United States
• October 28 – The Empty Bottle, Chicago, Illinois, United States
• October 30 – Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak, Michigan, United States
• October 31 – Massey Hall, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• November 1 – Beacon Theatre, New York City, United States
• November 3 – Tower Theatre, Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, United States
• November 4 – Orpheum Theatre, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
• November 6 – Loew's Jersey Theatre, Jersey City, New Jersey, United States
• November 7 – The Anthem; Washington, D.C.; United States
• November 9 – Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
• November 10 – McFarlin Memorial Auditorium, Dallas, Texas, United States
• November 11 – Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater, Austin, Texas, United States

Charts

Chart (2017)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[28]	5
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[29]	26
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[30]	89
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[31]	92
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[32]	27
French Albums (SNEP)[33]	89
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[34]	75
Irish Albums (IRMA)[35]	36
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[36]	12
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[37]	39
Scottish Albums (OCC)[38]	8
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[39]	69
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[40]	35
UK Albums (OCC)[41]	11
US Billboard 200[42]	51
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[43]	10
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[44]	10
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[45]	4