Some five years and 8,000 miles later Courtney Barnett is back with her newest (and arguably strongest) album Creature of Habit. After relocating from Melbourne, Australia to Los Angeles, Barnett and her band are on a long US tour right now, and they brought Truman Sinclair and Momma in tow with them last Wednesday at Roadrunner.

Drummer Stella Mozgawa knocked right into the thundering and complex intro to the album (and lead single), “Stay In Your Lane.” It almost sounded like three people playing drums, but Mozgawa tactfully lead the band in, showing off with a little cross-handed playing. “Leading the band in” is a bit of a misnomer, as it makes it sounds like there are quite a few members, when there’s only Barnett and bassist Bones Sloane. If there was any doubt in your mind that three people can’t produce a full sound, you would be wildly incorrect, as Barnett plays through three Fender tweed amps and Sloane plays through a double stack bass setup. Translation: earplugs are a necessity.

After playing a single new song, Barnett immediately threw it back to the early days with “City Looks Pretty” and “Avant Gardener,” two tracks that were welcomed greatly by the audience. Somewhere between the two songs, a massive banner with the new album art has quietly unfurled behind the band, overshadowing them with a 40’ preying mantis. The backdrop seemed to shift in and out of presence, shifting attention across the stage, but never away from the wall of sound that the trio was capable of producing. Barnett and crew played eight tracks from the new album, featuring favorites like “Mantis,” “Sight Unseen,” and a solo rendition of “Mostly Patient” to usher in the encore.

Courtney Barnett and co continue their tour through Canada and the Midwest, before heading back home and wrapping up at the Hollywood Palladium. The new album, Creature of Habit, is available now on Mom + Pop Music, and I highly recommend you give it a spin.

Check out the rest of Cam’s photos below