Pitchfork

Should I still phone my class of '86 NYU buds whenever a new Go-Betweens record is released? The band has now released more LPs this decade than current indie staples like the Shins, New Pornographers, and Strokes, so can we please drop the "Welcome back!" fanfare. Fortunately, Oceans Apart doesn't need the same apologetic disclaimer tagged onto 2000's The Friends of Rachel Worth and 2003's Bright Yellow Bright Orange. Frontmen Robert Forster and Grant McLennan probably needed those two lackluster works to shake off 11 years worth of rust, but with Oceans Apart, Forster and McLennan regain their songwriting momentum. Forster redeems himself right from the start-- opener "Here Comes a City" is a jerky post-punk rocker highlighted by a jangly Middle Eastern riff. It packs more confidence and intensity in its first 10 seconds than all of Bright Yellow Bright Orange's hoary folk balladry.

Of course, some credit's also due to longtime Go-Betweens producer Mark Wallis, whose presence on Oceans Apart also signifies a return to the stripped-down, lush atmospheres found on the Go-Betweens' landmark late-80s albums Tallulah and 16 Lovers Lane. Gone are the masturbatory Coldplay-sized string arrangements that plagued the previous two albums; in are supporting keyboards and intricately layered guitar parts. Songs like McLennan's somber "Finding You" benefit the most from Wallis's tinkering: Instead of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Forster's stark electric lead and McLennan's delicate "ah's" comprise the song's climactic bridge.

As expected, Forster and McLennan fill every musical nook and cranny with delectable pop melodies, yet even Wallis's production wizardry can't revive the same enthusiasm and emotional allure in their voices that made subtle songs like "Bachelor Kisses" and "Part Company" such indelible classics. Yet as awkward as they sometimes sound, the Go-Betweens are still writing consistently gorgeous pop songs, and Oceans Apart proves they aren't content simply pleasing their most die-hard fans; they're back to making albums that, in a better world, appeal to everyone.