"It is the simple that is hard to achieve" - what Berthold Brecht wrote about this in "In Praise of Communism" can also be applied to Pop songs. The often conjured up good, clear Pop song in itself. Many too many fail.

The Australian Go-Betweens are without a doubt masters of the good song, ever since Karen, a librarian, introduced them to Brecht and other great authors. 1978, "Karen", the Go-Betweens first single. Spartanic, uneven, but whoever heard this record had to loose his heart to this band.

During the 80s, the Go-Betweens were less uneven, but on their six regular albums Robert Forster and Grant McLennen worked their way up to becoming the decade's best songwriter-duo of intelligent Indie Pop (in word and sound) of that decade. Two profiles, occasionally antipodes, that somehow always found their way back to a whole that was more than the sum of its parts. On the one side, Robert Forster's somewhat angular-expansive style, on the other side Grant McLennan's wonderful melodies. "Liberty Belle & The Black Diamond Express" (1986) was a milestone in Pop history, which unfortunately was noticed by too few people, "16 Lovers' Lane" was the title of the equally excellent (provisional) end. The band broke up, Robert and Grant pursued solo careers.

During the 90s early demos ("The Lost Album") and the Best-of compilation, "Bellavista Terrace", were also released. The band's reputation continued to grow, even though the group no longer existed. That is perhaps why Robert & Grant waited until 1999 to reunite for a tour. The Go-Betweens were back. And the albums, "The Friends of Rachel Worth" and "Bright Yellow Bright Orange", from 1999 and 2002 respectively, sounded as if they had never been gone.

2005:

Robert Forster opens the new album, "Oceans Apart", with the driving song "Here Comes A City". The description of his last train ride from Regensburg (where he had lived for some years) and Frankfurt offers evidence of the cause of the album's special spirit and homogeneity: Robert Forster returned to Australia. There, where Grant McLennan had been living again. So, they saw each other more regularly, not just meeting in the studio once every two years with each of them bringing the obligatory five songs. The democratic sharing of credits and lead vocals continued as before, but a Go-Betweens rehearsal is still sitting down together, discussing books and films, sharing friends. The old cliche, but good. This is a band which also includes bass player Adele Pickvance and drummer Glen Thompson, both of whom have accompanied Robert & Grant ever since their solo years.

"Oceans Apart" presents the quartet tighter than they have ever been. You can interpret the title however you want. Does it stand for the protagonists' very different styles when it comes to songs? For the distance between the focal points of their lives and the London studio, where producer Mark Wallis recorded the album? Robert Forster doesn't care: "Maybe it's just the name of a bar next to the studio."

THE GO-BETWEENS: Oceans Apart

Here Comes A City
Finding You
Born To A Family
No Reason To Cry
Boundary Rider
Darlinghurst Nights
Lavender
Statue
This Night's For You
Mountains Near Delray

What remains the same: Forster is still the storyteller, the chronicler; McLennan deals with emotional states. But the songwriting comes together. Forster's and McLennan's hardcore fans will have a hard time identifying their favorites, even though it is Forster, who usually sets the tempo. As is the opening track or in the jaunting "Born To A Family". The epic "Darlinghurst Nights" is not at the center of attention just because of its six-minute length. This monument of a song is built up from the acoustic introduction to the furious finale, where horns drunkenly stagger out of the song reminiscent of "Sgt. Pepper". McLennan's "No Reason To Cry" can be understood as a greeting to former band member and girlfriend Amanda Brown: friendly, without bitterness. Surprisingly, he is allowed the "heaviest" guitar riff on the album in his "This Night's For You". Moreover it can hardly be ignored how much care and creativity has been put into the rhythm arrangements. It could be a groove box setting the tempo ("The Statue") or rumbling percussion sound painting a background landscape ("Lavender").

"Oceans Apart" is "complete" in the best sense of the word. Bass and drums provide the earthy foundation, while the guitars jangle, sparkle and write melodies in the sky. "Oceans Apart" is not hectic, loose, cleverly light-footed, relaxed. That has nothing to do with the wisdom of age, but with the timelessness of good ideas. Great art with a light touch.
 

THE GO-BETWEENS - That Striped Sunlight Sound (TIN 0050 5)

"Oceans Apart" has been the highest charting album The Go-Betweens has had in almost every territory and has gone on to win the bands first ever ARIA award in their 25 year career for Best Adult Contemporary Album. We will release a special DVD/CD entitled "That Striped Sunlight Sound" on 27th January containing live, exclusive & never-seen-before content.

The DVD component of "That Striped Sunlight Sound" includes a 70-minute live concert from their sell-out show at The Tivoli Theatre in hometown Brisbane as well as a rare, up close and personal "Acoustic Session" with Robert Forster and Grant McLennan playing their favourite songs from the last 30 years with insights into their conception, formulation and longevity. The Bonus CD contains live tracks also taken from the Tivoli Theatre performance.

THE GO-BETWEENS - Finding You (TIN 0002 2)

"Finding You" is the first official single from the Go-Betweens Chart-Album "Oceans Apart".

Bittersweet, melodic and slightly sentimental - "Finding You" is another well-crafted pop-classic from Australias's finest composer-duo Forster & McLennan. The "B-Side" features the wonderful country-like Song "Born to a Family" and also an unreleased live version from 2004 of the band's classic hit single Hits "Streets of Your Town".

what would you do if you turned around, and saw me besides you
not in a dream but in a song? would you float like a phantom or would you sing along?
don't know where it's going, don't know where it's flowing
but I know it's FINDING YOU !