Ali Barter - A Suitable Girl (LP)

Released in March 2017, A Suitable Girl is the kind of debut that feels fully formed, the product of years spent soaking up the right records and sharpening a point of view. Ali Barter came out of Melbourne’s indie scene with a sharp tongue and sharper hooks, and you can hear both immediately. The guitars bite, the drums swing, and her voice lands with that perfect mix of sweetness and steel. Produced by Oscar Dawson of Holy Holy, the album has a clean, muscular sound that keeps the focus on songs you’ll want to shout along to on the tram ride home.

You can trace a clear line from 90s alt rock to what Barter does here, but it never feels like cosplay. The influence of Liz Phair’s frankness and Veruca Salt’s crunch sits alongside a distinctly Australian sensibility, the dry wit that turns a gripe into an anthem. Dawson’s production stacks bright, overdriven guitars against unfussy rhythms, leaving space for Barter’s melodies to dart and sting. It’s tight and purposeful, like a band that’s been road-testing these songs at tiny Melbourne pubs and knows exactly how they land.

“Girlie Bits” is the lightning rod, for good reason. It’s a pop-punk rush with a chorus that flips everyday sexism into a rallying cry, fueled by a real sense of exasperation and a wicked grin. The song became a favorite on triple j and sparked plenty of conversation about the way women are still talked about in music and beyond. What makes it work is how fun it is. Even as she skewers the nonsense, the track is catchy as anything, built for sweaty rooms and breathless singalongs.

“Cigarette” pares things back to a woozy sway, all humid tension and smoke-ring guitars. Barter leans into the hazy melody, letting the edges blur while the rhythm section keeps a steady pulse. It shows another gear, proof she can do slow-burn as well as high-voltage. Elsewhere, she picks her battles with care. The title A Suitable Girl wryly nods toward expectations, and the lyrics move from relationship dynamics to self-image to the small ways we learn to push back. It’s thoughtful, but it never turns into homework. Every idea is anchored to a hook.

Part of the thrill here is hearing a songwriter who knows exactly what she wants to say. In 2016 Barter wrote a widely shared piece calling out how women get written out of rock history, and that same energy runs through this album. Not as a lecture, but as lived experience, folded into choruses you’ll hum for weeks. Dawson, a guitarist with an ear for detail, colors around her lines with chiming leads and fuzzed-out textures, keeping the record cohesive without sanding off its scrappy edges.

If you’re the kind of listener who cares about sound in the room, A Suitable Girl sings on wax. The guitar layers separate, the kick drum lands with a little extra thump, and Barter’s vocal sits right where it should. Ali Barter vinyl isn’t always easy to spot in the wild, so if you can find A Suitable Girl vinyl, grab it. It’s the sort of record that rewards a front-to-back spin while you’re flipping through liner notes and nursing a coffee. For anyone trying to buy Ali Barter records online, keep an eye on independent shops that ship across the country, especially the outlets specializing in vinyl records Australia. And if you stumble across a copy at a Melbourne record store, don’t hesitate.

Seven years on, the album still feels punchy and current, which says a lot about how cleanly it was put together and how sharply it was written. Barter didn’t try to do everything at once. She made a concise, hook-stacked guitar record that stakes out her corner and invites you in. If you already keep Ali Barter albums on vinyl next to your 90s alt favorites, this will slide right in. If you’re new, start here. It’s the sound of a songwriter arriving, smiling just enough, and saying exactly what needed to be said.