0515. The Go-Betweens
16 Lovers Lane

I'm having a bit of a hard time describing my impression here, at least until I read up about The Go-Betweens, cause then it falls into place: at times this is what it'd sound like if The Cure and Midnight Oil made lovesongs together. Other times it's not as enticing, but they do make for a completely okay alternative to hearing star-crossed lovers.

Creepily enough most of the songs are said to be about the bands multi-instrumentalist Amanda Brown, a fact that wouldn't be creepy at all if not for another couple of facts: the songs were written collaboratively by Robert Forster and Grant McLennan, and the themes of some of the songs aren't really goodwill.

Interestingly, the best track on the album (and also the one wit hthe most hit-potential) isn't the single, Streets Of Your Town, but the album opener Love Goes On! - the song that made me think up the reference in the beginning.

This Aussie indie pop act disbanded after almost twelve years together (well, Amanda was only with them for two years and two albums) and the year after this release, making it their sixth and final album (before the compulsory nostalgia-comeback some decade or so later).