The Go-Betweens, Bright Yellow Bright Orange
Trifekta
****
When they reformed in 2000 for their first new album in 12 years, The Friends of Rachel Worth, the Go-Betweens were again lauded by all and sundry, headlined the 3RRR stage on the Big Day Out tour and had their finest tune, Cattle an Cane, included in APRA's top 10 Australian songs list. Their signature sound - subtle poetic and melodies timeless guitar pop - remains here on their eighth album. Part of the magic lies in their ability to make a difficult craft sound so effortless. Much of it can be put down to the combination of the two contrasting songwriters writing independently. Grant McLennan is at his wistful, melodic best here on Poison In the Walls, an instant classic, and Robert Forster, in a more reflective mood since having recently returned to Australia after living in Germany, is at his dry, humorous best with lines such as "Trapped in an image, unable to move/I want to get out of folk and into rare groove" on Something For Myself.
Patrick Donovan
Thanks to Trifekta Records for forwarding this article.