Robert Forster: Songs to Play | Album Review

There may have been more critically acclaimed bands of the past 35 years than Australia's The Go-Betweens, but right now I can't think of any. One of the reasons for this is because Robert Forster (who founded the band with Grant McLennan in 1977) has released one of the best songwriter albums of the year. In keeping with Forster's known background, it's true to say the Go-Betweens are never far away. Nor are the connective threads, and so across tracks such as Turn on the Rain, A Poet Walks ("given two choices, two clear choices, I take both!"), Learn to Burn, and Let Me Imagine You, Forster adroitly fashions songs that are wistful, clever, melodic, poetic and languid. This weekend he is part of the NCH's Blood & the Moon WB Yeats event (see centre pages). You know what to do – don't disappoint yourself. robertforster.net