The Go-Betweens Oceans Apart (Yep Roc)
review by Jim Clark

Track Listing

1. Here Comes A City
2. Finding You
3. Born To A Family
4. No Reason To Cry
5. Boundary Rider
6. Darlinghurst Nights
7. Lavender
8. Statue
9. This Night’s For You
10. Mountains Near Dellray

 

 

Apparently, the Go-Betweens didn't like the nineties. They went on an extended break after 1988’s 16 Lovers Lane, a break that didn’t end until 2000’s The Friends Of Rachel Worth. And now they return with their third release of the new millennium, Oceans Apart.

Simply said, Oceans Apart is a breathtaking effort packed with irresistible tunes, great performances and perfect production. Joining frontmen Robert Forster and Grant McLennan are bassist Adele Pickvance and drummer Glenn Thompson, each returning from 2003’s Bright Yellow Bright Orange.

The Forster/McLennan songwriting team is in remarkable form. “Here Comes A City” starts things off with a nod to late 70’punk/new wave with Forster observing the sights while on a train ride to the city. “And why do people who read Dostoevsky always look like Dostoevsky,” he wryly observes.

The beautiful “Finding You” follows with a wonderful arrangement and catchy chorus that makes great use of McLennan’s lead and Pickvance’s backing vocals. Pickvance’s bass drives along the XTC-ish “Born To A Family,” another great, catchy tune.

The shimmering “No Reason To Cry” starts with some tasteful keyboard effects and what almost sounds like a bass synthesizer. Yet another irresistible chorus takes over while gentle acoustic guitar is prevalent all along. With some excellent counter harmonies and just enough of an electric guitar solo, this is an example of songwriting at its best.

A creepy organ part leads into “Boundary Rider.” Featuring another basic arrangement of acoustic guitar, bass, drums and keyboards, the song includes more poignant lyrics – “So you reach for things, you’re never satisfied/ You’re running down the years.”

Forster and McLennan try to get too ambitious on “Darlinghurst Nights,” as at over six minutes, the song tends to drag on a bit without enough variation to warrant it. Still, it makes an interesting listen lyrically, and a sort of freeform brass section closes out the piece.

With a pronounced bassline, “Lavender” has sort of a country feel to it, which is interesting as Forster and McLennan are writing about a girl in their homeland of Australia -“Everybody said that she’s good in bed, other people said that she’s well read.”

Exquisite synthesizer, mellow electric guitar and more beautiful lyrics highlight the wonderfully melancholic “Statue.” An eighties vocal and some toned down yet sturdy electric guitar drives along “This Night’s For You.”

Melodica opens the closing “Mountains Near Delray” with Forster giving a vocal not unlike Johnny Cash. Another track with country leanings, the song gives the listener a sense of nostalgia, of yearning.

Producer Mark Wallis gives an incredible effort on Oceans Apart, keeping the arrangements clean and the sounds just perfect. And, all in all, this disc is nearly perfect. Definitely one of the best releases of 2005.


marillion- happiness is the road
tilt- million dollar wound
mickey simmonds- the seven colours of emptiness
ukz- radiation
pain of salvation - scarsick
icon- icon II, icon live
the pineapple thief- tightly unwound
planet p project- levittown (go out dancing part II)
nosound- lightdark
dengue fever- venus on earth
art of all- morgan
marillion- somewhere else
abigails ghost- selling insincerity
blackfield- blackfield II
damien rice- 9
the who- endless wire
the beach boys- good vibrations
the pineapple thief- little man
the killers- sam's town
tom petty- highway companion
hem- funnel cloud
emm gryner- the summer of high hopes
jeremy enigk- world waits
razorlight- razorlight
gps- window to the soul
iron maiden- a matter of life and death
thom yorke- the eraser
richard butler- richard butler
the flaming lips- at war with the mystics
ray davies- other people's live
david gilmour- on an island
nosound- sol29
jackson browne- running on empty 5.1
neal morse- ?
king crimson- 21st century guide to king crimson
shriekback- cormorant
depeche mode- playing the angel
pallas- the dreams of men
my morning jacket- z
riverside- second life syndrome
roger waters- ca ira
various artists- backs against the wall
riverside- out of myself
sigur ros- takk
killers- hot fuss
queen + paul rodgers- return of the champions
journey- generations
yes- the word is live
emmylou harris- heartaches & highways
van der graaf generator- remaster series
rob dickinson- fresh wine for the horses
annie- anniemal
dredg- catch without arms
foo fighters- in your honor
dream theater- octavarium
belle and sebastian- push barman to open old wounds
the go-betweens- oceans apart
porcupine tree- up the downstair (remaster 2005)
coldplay- x & y
nine inch nails- with teeth
aimee mann- the forgotten arm
van der graaf generator- present
christopher o'riley- hold me to this
glen phillips- winter pays for summer
new order- waiting for the siren's call
ben folds- songs for silverman
john doe- forever hasn't happened yet
trashcan sinatras- fez
adrian belew- side one
kaki king - legs to make us longer
longview- mercury
stereophonics- language. sex. violence. other?
for against- echelons
over the rhine- drunkard's prayer
kathleen edwards- back to me
kasabian- kasabian
porcupine tree- deadwing
the wedding present- take fountain
super furry animals - songbook
arena- pepper's ghost
snow patrol- final straw
rpwl- world through my eyes
tori amos- the beekeeper
kino- picture
monarch- the grandeur that was rome
spocks beard- octane
the wonder stuff- escape from rubbish island
richard barbieri- things buried
the pineapple thief- 12 stories down
the pineapple thief- 8 days later
the innoncence mission- now the day is over
zero 7- when it falls
pain of salvation- be
california guitar trio- white water
jelly jam- 2
tim bowness- my hotel year
van halen- the best of both worlds
glen burtnik- welcome to hollywood
charlie mars- charlie mars
porcupine tree- voyage 34 (2004 remaster)
saint etienne- travel edition
lanterna- highways review
hellboys- cha cha with the hellboys review
persona non grata- the fine art of living review
tegan and sara- so jealous review
guadalcanal diary- 2x4 reissue review
voices in the wire- signals in transmission review
roger waters- to kill a child/ leaving beirut review
luna- rendezvous review
jim white- drill a hole in that substrate and tell me what you see review
the drive-by truckers- the dirty south review
the blue nile - high review
lovedrug- pretend you're alive review
twilight singers- she loves you review
keane- hope and fears review
winds- the imaginary direction of time review
kristeen young- x review
asia- silent nation review
macha- forget tomorrow review
crystal method- legion of boom dvd-audio review
kevin moore- ghost book review
marillion- don't hurt yourself singles review
attrition- dante's kitchen review
rush- feedback review
tortoise- it's all around you review
division of laura lee- does not compute review
peccatum- lost in reverie review
iq- dark matter review
bass communion- ghosts on magnetic tape review
the push stars- paint the town review
virgin black- elegant... and dying review
marillion- marbles review
the streets- a grand don't come for free review
the veils- the runaway found review
all about eve- let me go home review
john young band- live review
mary lou lord- baby blue review
the divine comedy- absent friends review
pink floyd- the final cut (2004 remaster) review
prot-kaw- before became after review
jeffrey gaines live review
mocean worker- enter the mowo review
starsailor- silence is easy review
pineapple thief- variations review
lloyd cole- music in a foreign language review
david sylvian- blemish review
spock's beard- feel euphoria eview
guy manning- press pack sampler review
magellan- impossible figures review
the tangent- the music that died alone review
john gorka- live from grace church photos and review
hothouse flowers- into your heart review
charlotte martin- on your shore review
rasputina- frustration plantation review
stellastarr*- stellastarr* review
vast- nude review
sparks- lil' beethoven review
the damnwells- bastards of the beat review
dave gahan- paper monsters review
king crimson- power to believe review
fish- field of crows review
porcupine tree- in absentia dvd-audio review
new model army- great expectations review
antimatter- unreleased 1998 - 2003 review
catie curtis: dreaming in romance languages review
the gathering- sleepy buildings review
twilight singers play blackberry belle review
vienna teng- warm strangers review
opeth- lamentations dvd review
courtney love- america's sweetheart review
blackfield review
anathema- a natural disaster review
nearfest 2003 coverage
neal morse solo photos- metuchen, nj
porcupine tree broadcast
alpha- stargazing review
david sylvian at the tla
emm gryner at the point
barry andrews at the tin angel
tweaker:2 am wakeup call review
cure- join the dots review
fish live from the tla with john wesley
spearhead- everyone deserves music review
miles hunt (wonderstuff) live

full archives coming soon!

 



Studio M Live
818 North Market St, Suite 2R
Wilmington, DE 19801
302.475.9880

 

 

 
Copyright © 1997-2004 Studio M Live, Inc. All rights reserved. All content on studiomlive.com is owned by Studio M Live and may not be reproduced without written permission. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding this policy. If you are looking for Custom Injection Molding you are at the wrong site, and should really be at Applied Tech Products.