The charm of this track, which tells the story of the narrator attempting gardening and having a panic attack over a krautrock/folk-rock vamp lies in Barnett’s analysis of the world around her, fascinating in all its banal glory. It sounds poetically lazy and street tired like Bob Dylan. Another trick she uses from the folk genius is the connected but non-linear transformation of her lines—a wry comment like “I take a hit from an asthma puffer / I do it wrong I was never good at smoking bongs” turns into an implicitly substantial refrain “I’m not good at breathing in.” The song also layers some nasty feedback guitar work over the otherwise innocent sounding rhythm section supporting the underhanded meaning of many of the lyrics. ”Avant Gardener” is from the upcoming LP The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas to be released soon on House Anxiety / Marathon Artists / Milk!
