Reviews (page 4 of 7)
Inoffensive though a bit dull.
A nice album. The musical similarity to The Smiths and Morrissey is unmistakable. Nevertheless, there wasn't a single track that stuck in my memory. 3/5
Surprisingly better/slightly derivative jangle pop
Pleasant enough but nothing really stands out
A middle of the road album. Not a bad listen but nothing that stands out
big ole meh....
Super
3.5
It was nice, not a go to sound for me. I really didn't find it interesting at all, but pleasant enough to probably have on in the background. 7.3 ★★★½
3.5
I liked it. Not my fav style of music tho. Gives the cure vibes.
Good, but certainly not their best. Love Goes on and Dive for Your Memory and good, Streets of your Town a GOAT.
Quite enjoyed this
Pleasant enough in places and largely inoffensive. As a result it was also pretty bland and overall nothing much to set the pulse racing.
A cross between U2 and Crowded House with the inevitable middle of the road result. Was there anything I could do partially saves the album.
I know Australia pre-90s struggled to make much a dent on the global musical stage, but seriously Brisbane, you named a bridge after these guys?! I can only feel that’s akin to Liverpool naming a bridge after Cast or Space. Anyway, it’s perfectly listenable but struggles to really get the pulse racing. Tbh I assumed I was listening to a Scottish band from the same era until I googled them such is the similarity to other MOR stuff from the time.
Yes, this is similar to The Smiths, but that does not mean it can’t also be good. The arrangements here are good and I like the use of background vocals during some songs. The violin in Was There Anything I Could Do? was a nice touch. Favorite songs were Quiet Heart, Streets Of Your Town, and Was There Anything I Could Do?
Most of the songs sound the same, but there’s just enough variation to keep things interesting. Wouldn’t revisit, but didn’t hate it.
Instrumental: 4/5, voix: 2/5. Donc 3/5
This didn't start off very strong in my opinion. Felt like they were hell bent on trying to make everything rhyme, using convoluted phrases and wordings that made little sense. Then it somehow recovered itself a bit in the end. Though no particular song stuck to me, it sounded like a better version of R.E.M at times. Overall a bit of a roller coaster. Nothing particularly memorable, but not that bad either, especially considering the album name is cheese deluxe.
Sounded like The Smiths. Kind of uninspired but I do not like The Smiths either so can't tell if this is better or worse. Didn't hate it but not really my jam. Weak 3.
It was a fine album. Understandable why I’ve never heard of them though.
Reminds me of a jam band version of Television, The Smiths and the likes… It’s actually okay, but it doesn’t really hit me the way those other band have done Favourite track: Was there anything I could do?
This was fine. My review didn't save but I thought the instrumentation was cool but everything was just a little overdone.
I forgot about this album as soon as I finished listening to it. Utterly unremarkable in its mediocrity I guess, which feels like the most mid review.
listen to later
Bang on average, nothing really stood out but didn’t turn it off.
Fairly unremarkable, but I wasn’t really paying attention. 5/10 9/09/25
This is like if the Smiths were Australian and a little more upbeat.
Easy listening. Not monumental.
Fav: Streets Of Your Town Least Fav: Clouds The definition of ok, harmless and sometimes catchy but it’s lacking inspiration
Non male, mi è piaciuto
It was a little mediocre, but pleasant.
solid 3
Never heard of this group. Easy to listen to, but not much leaps out at me. I like Love Is A Sign and I really like Streets of Your Town. Solid album.
Enjoyed this, good Aussie vibe, without perhaps setting the whole world alight.
Smithsy, but more boring.
I really liked listening to this. I think an older version of me would have especially appreciated the indie vibe here (it's a good one) but perhaps my tastes are shifting. Positive listen. Fave songs: - Quiet Heart - The Devil's Eye - Streets of Your Town - Was There Anything I Could Do? - I'm All Right
This was fine. Seemed like basic rock though.
Ok
Bon esprit, plaisant mais fait trop pensé à de la musique pour des épisodes de séries TV de grandes audiences.
Standard new wave, but lucky for them I like new wave
A very nice and easy listen without being too blend. I totally agree with many of the other reviews - very "The Smiths"-ish. favourite: "Streets Of Your Town", "Was There Anything I Could Do", "Love Goes On" 3,5
I’m one of the few people who don’t think the Smiths walk on water. And it’s not just because of Morrissey. This band feels like the lesser-known, Australian version of the Smiths. It was pretty good - not much Australian representation on the list, so I will give it: 3⭐️
Easy to listen to album from an 80's Aussie pop band. Remembered the single Streets Of Your Your Town and while I wouldn't go out and buy the album it is worth a listen.
Bof, pas l'album de l'année, rien de transcendant.
está okay, me agradó pero no me gustó tanto, 7/10. Lo escucharía manejando maybe idk, me recuerda a los Smiths si se reprodujeran con La cura pero más problemas maritales y chillax
82/1001. Now I know where to turn to if I need slightly more obscure than average love songs, which sounds like a criticism, which is not true (necessarily). Looking from the bottom of the lake, the light still reaches this album, but it is a shitty place to listen to music.
Sort of a low-key, melancholy U2. I wouldn't call it bad, but there isn't much here to get excited about. Best track: The one where the girl is singing.
It was interesting and had some new vibes that I had not encountered before. Reminded me at times of Joy Division with a bit more pop attached. Fun but not a repeat listen.
Enjoyed this one, didn’t know anything by the band prior to listening
Very pleasant! But, not all that memorable.
Enjoyed once, won’t feel need to revisit
It took me a couple of listens to realize it, but this is definitely a cut above standard 80s pop. The catchy music did more for me than the lyrics. Love is a Sign actually sounds like falling in love with those harmonica and guitar lines, and the instrumental breakdown at the end of You Can’t Say No Forever had me bobbing my head along. The best vocal melody is on Streets of Your Town, with that “round and round, up and down” refrain. Quite good. Overall, this is a solid album that I’m glad I listened to. But it also made me realize how good U2 was compared to the rest of the 80s.
This one was cute. Some light 80s. Felt like a lot of them could be on a movie soundtrack. 3.5 stars
This one was nice enough, but it didn’t really stick with me. There are a few catchy tunes and some pleasant guitar work, but nothing grabbed my attention for long. The album has an easy, mellow feel, good for background listening or a slow afternoon. It never goes off the rails or tries anything risky, which makes it inoffensive but also a little forgettable. If you like gentle indie pop, you might get more out of it, but for me it was just alright.
Een vergeetbaar album, maar het was geen straf om hier een keer doorheen te moeten gaan. Een wat melancholisch geluid. In het begin dacht ik dat het een beetje de U2 kant in ging, maar dat was toch niet helemaal zo. Jaren '80 maar niet per se lelijk 80's. Ik kan even niet goed opnoemen op welke andere bands dit een beetje lijkt, terwijl het geluid toch niet super uniek is. Hoort het thuis in deze lijst? Nee, op geen enkele manier. Heb ik deze liever dan een groot aantal andere albums in deze lijst? Toch wel. Een relatief kort album zonder grote ongemakken. Dit is een aardige 3.
Not bad jangle-pop but nothing stood out for me. I wouldn't turn it off but I probably won't go out of my way to play it again, either.
Very Smiths-esque, couldn’t believe they were Australian. A little boring tbh
not bad. easy listen. one obvious stand out track
nothing to write home about, 5/10
Very innocuous pop music.
I dug it
Pleasant.
Very nice indeed, rather enjoyed this one to be fair! Will probably purchase it for further investigation! Excellent indie pop rock music!
Straight mid. Kind of reminded me of the Smiths, although this singer was better than Morrissey to me.
It's a very chill alternative rock album from Australia, very laid back vibes, feels very nostalgic. Honestly it's a pretty harmless album, an easy listen but not much remarkable besides a couple of tracks. The singing is pretty good, some parts could improve but it fits the indie vibe they have. The instrumentals are pretty simple, acoustic guitars, soft drums and something else depending on the track. "Streets of your town" is by far the stand-out track, nails the nostalgic but happy vibe, the chorus is pretty catchy and their voices sound excellent together in it.
a cute little surprise if a little boring
Australian music to me is very hit or miss. It feels like they hit trends 10 to 20 years later than the USA. Despite their lateness to the party, they still manage to create something unique. This band, for example, really captures that 80s pop rock feel.
There is much of the Deacon Blues about this. That 80s, acoustic pop, with some male/female harmonies. 'Quiet Heart' and 'I'm All Right' in particular. Whilst the former is a nicely romantic effort, the latter feels like it's injected with a helping of dirge. It never quite takes off, and it doesn't quite have the earworminess of Crowded House to sustain that sluggish pace. 'Streets of Your Town' is another big nod to Deacon and this time they hit pay dirt. A real forgotten gem; pacey, pop brilliance. Initially, I thought this lot a washed out Waterboys. Forster's vocals are a lot weaker than McLennan's. But I decided after a while these are more than bland soft-pop numbers. Whilst they don't always get the bounce of Deacon Blue, the jangle of The Smiths, or the melodic chops of either, it is peppered with some very proficient 80s romantic smalltown pop. And it grew a smidge with each listen. It has attained 'good' status.
I was unfamiliar with The Go-Betweens before listening to this album. Solid musically and vocally, but I just really never got into it.
Enjoyable but not groundbreaking. I could see this gating grating if I hadn't broken the album up across the day
Not bad. I got Echo & the Bunnymen vibes
I struggle to think of much of anything I wanna say about this album. Like... I guess it's kind of Smiths-y? And a Smiths album where I don't hafta listen to Morrisey is just fine by me. And I guess "Was There Anything I Could Do?" is a pretty good, driving indie song. But other than that... But otherwise, the only real thought I had while listening to this thing was, "These songs sound like some of them should've randomly showed up on the soundtrack for an 80's or 80's-styled teen-age high school drama flick that's highly acclaimed for its great taste in music." None of the stuff on this album is bad, I wouldn't say. It's got a good enough sound about it. It's just... So painfully fine for a late 80's New Wave-ish indie rock album. Really, it's the kind of album that makes me wonder what I'm supposed to get out of it — y'know, why is it here, on this list? What makes it so important to the contributors? And if I'm left asking myself **those questions** about an album... Yeaaaah. And I could (and maybe should) look into it, for the sake of this review if nothing else, but frankly, I don't really care enough about this album to really put in much more work than I'm doing right now. So, I'unno. If you like late 80's indie rock... Suuuuuure. And certainly, when it comes to indie-ish albums my group has gotten out of Australia, it's a step and a half above CALENTURE. But otherwise? Eeeehhhh. "Go-Betweens?" More like... "I could Go-Without." Yeah, got'em. I struggle to think of much of anything I wanna say about this album. Like... I guess it's kind of Smiths-y? And a Smiths album where I don't hafta listen to Morrisey is just fine by me. And I guess "Was There Anything I Could Do?" is a pretty good, driving indie song. But other than that... But otherwise, the only real thought I had while listening to this thing was, "These songs sound like some of them should've randomly showed up on the soundtrack for an 80's or 80's-styled teen-age high school drama flick that's highly acclaimed for its great taste in music." None of the stuff on this album is bad, I wouldn't say. It's got a good enough sound about it. It's just... So painfully fine for a late 80's New Wave-ish indie rock album. Really, it's the kind of album that makes me wonder what I'm supposed to get out of it — y'know, why is it here, on this list? What makes it so important to the contributors? And if I'm left asking myself **those questions** about an album... Yeaaaah. And I could (and maybe should) look into it, for the sake of this review if nothing else, but frankly, I don't really care enough about this album to really put in much more work than I'm doing right now. So, I'unno. If you like late 80's indie rock... Suuuuuure. And certainly, when it comes to indie-ish albums my group has gotten out of Australia, it's a step and a half above CALENTURE. But otherwise? Eeeehhhh. "Go-Betweens?" More like... "I could Go-Without." Yeah, got'em.
I’m at a 3.5 that I’ll bump down to a 3. This is a fine album; it’s a look into 10 of the houses that exist on this hypothetical road known as 16 Lovers Lane. A lot of these guys don’t seem to be in love though, as plenty of tracks here deal with breakups, manipulation, some vague sense of peer pressure… honestly, it feels like only 2 or 3 houses here actually have proper lovers. Bit of irony, then. It’s a good concept for an album, and I wish they stretched it out to really explore this hypothetical street more, and properly dig into a day in this single neighborhood. As it stands, it’s 10 tracks of varying quality that range from “very good” to “fine, but it didn’t click for me”, and that’s mainly why I’m bumping this down to a 3. There’s always something with a lot of these tracks – there’s ambiguous meanings to the lyrics, some abstract vocal structures, moments where the song doesn’t feel like it’s progressed from an instrumental standpoint, or just longer intros and outros that feel like they’re padding for time on an already somewhat short album. Having one of these doesn’t sink a track, nor does it ever really sink the album that badly, but they’re consistently present, and that builds up over time to make the full 37 minutes feel not only longer than it is, but less fulfilling. It just doesn’t feel like the album has a proper track to track progression, due to so many tracks sharing a similar tone or subject matter. Of course, I’m emphasizing the negatives, but this is never a bad album. It’s the type of album where, despite its flaws, I genuinely considered giving it a 4 because it’s still got a nice charm to it, and for as consistently present as my “somethings” are, they don’t last THAT long in each track. They’re there long enough to be noticeable, but sometimes, I was still enjoying it regardless. There are great instrumental moments here, some fun vocals that feel like a guilt-free Morrissey, and some lyrics that are genuinely really touching, like on “Streets of Your Town” or “Dive for Your Memory”, which might be my favorite song on the album. In a way, I’m bumping this down to a 3 because a number of tracks & styles just didn’t click for my tastes. If someone wants to give this a 4 or a 5, I wouldn’t blame them, because I can hear it. It just didn’t fully work for me.
QUEENSLANDERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR As much as it kills me to give a mid rating to a Brisbane band, unfortunately I must. This really just feels like generic acoustic radio hits that was shaped clearly around the hit single of "Streets of Your Town" (verified Aussie classic banger). As good as SOYT is, it won't save the rest of the album which just sounds like filler. Nothing really interesting of note happens in anything but SOYT. It's tolerable, and it fucking kills me to agree that this sounds like a radio-friendly Aussie version of The Smiths, as true as it is.
Music for mid fifties ALP members to listen to while they reminisce (masturbate while thinking about) protesting Joh Bjelke-Peterson(PBUH). No one outside of that demographic would know who this band is if they didn’t randomly have an extremely expensive toll bridge named after them. Mid in the truest sense as totally average.
Australian Alt Rock has an incredibly wealthy and storied history of melancholy. Sometimes referred to as "drone" after the most notable band in the broader movement. Although I would have preferred this to be a Drones or Midnight Oil album its still nice to see some representation albeit pretty mediocre . If you even enjoyed this slightly I would encourage you to go listen to "Havilah" by the Drones which is important to Australian music culture but unappreciated even by Australians. 5/10
I liked some of the lyrics but overall not my style of music. I do like the album to have it as background music like as I do homework and stuff though 💕
Rv
Nice album that was a pleasant listen. No standouts or anything especially memorable but I like it.
Pleasant enough. Not as dated as I was anticipating and the melodies, production, and performance are nice. Not exciting, but nice. I agree with the streaming data: “Love Goes On!” and “Streets of Your Town” are the clear highlights.
decent album. in some respects, it reminds me of other 80s college rock staples like the smiths or the replacements, but feels like ultimately it is rather toothless in comparison. there's nothing bad here - at worst, just dull - but i think some of their contemporaries are more thrilling to listen to. still, it's a pleasant listen and there are most certainly some highlights here.
This feels like the Good Charlotte or We The Kings to Fall Out Boy and Paramore, where The Go Betweens is a fine but notably worse version of the Cure or the Smiths. I think it was good, I like the line I love you so much I think I’m gonna bust, everything on here was very “yeah”. Pristine “this is fine” music.
First track was really good (even the lyric about busting) and I was excited for this album, then we got a U2 song, and then a couple Smith songs and a couple REM songs. While the songs were pretty good, I felt like I wasn't getting much that I couldn't get from a band that I like more. I saw some critics saying the two main songwriters in this band were the next McCartney-Lennon. Nope! I'm feeling a 3/5 on this. I did save the first track, that was my favorite.
Never heard it before but I enjoyed it.
I liked it. Kinda sounded like The Smiths at times, bit a bit Australian. Would listen again
Wasn’t too excited about this. There were a couple bright spots, but ultimately not as memorable as I believe it could have been. 3/5
Dad- 5 Mom- 6 Mike- NA Lori- 5 Michael- 5 Miles- 4 Cole- 5 Avg- 5
Perfectly serviceable, completely unmemorable pop music.
Didn't finish this one. Wasn't terrible but wasn't incredibly intriguing either. Giving it a 3 for now, subject to change. I have Sinatra, Nirvana and Zeppelin that I need to listen to..... sorry Go-Betweens.
First half I liked. Second half I didn’t like. I really liked the song “Cattle and Cane,” but that is from a different album and only played because of Spotify autoplay. It’s a banger. To anyone in this crew that reads this review, check it out. No joke. ☮️
A perfectly fine album for the 90s Seattle coffeehouse in your heart
cute but forgettable
Bit Smiths, bit Fleetwood. Would not recommend for a sleepy commute, but that’s on me.
Coupla bops on here but mostly skippable. Did not care for “late at night when I want you I lock you in my room”…
This album has some good songs and melodies but the arrangements are so drably dated that it really dulled the effect it had on me. I’ve learned through listening to all these albums that while the 80’s sound and style helped cement the legacy of certain bands, it brutally shortened other artists’ shelf life.
I liked Streets of Your Town. Everything else was meh.
U2 lite
Somewhat pleasant
vaikkakin lähentelee sitä tyypillistä länsimaista, ja erityisesti brittiläistä pop bändeilyä myöhäis 80-luvulla, tämä australialainen bändi pystyy kuitenkin erottumaan joukosta. mutta ei perkele paljoa! ei todellakaan kovin montaa askelta menty kunnes pää kääntyy haikailemaan sitä kammottavaa korporaatiomassaa joka syövyttänyt musiikin laidat läpeensä. sykkivä, elävä paskasirkus joka tarttunut kiinni jokaiseen kumpuun ja onkaloon... korruptoiva.. samettava... mutta lieju on pikkusen blantrattua näiden kohdalla! ei ole niin tunkkaista, tanakkaa tavaraa tämä. kevyttä pientä turmeltumaa mutta hengittää voi vapaasti.. Love Goes On!
Ok
If I wanted to listen to the smiths I’d listen to the smiths
You can't say no forever Streets of your town
My overall verdict in this album is that the lovely, often profound and moving lyrics deserve a better accompaniment. Musically this album is at times anodyne to an extent that seems almost calculated. Whoever decided on a drum machine for so many tracks made a bad error. In fact the drum machine is a neat metaphor for the whole thing. It sounds so tightly controlled to at there’s no room for anything really inventive or unexpected. This is the album The Go-Betweens made after moving from London back to Sidney and it sounds as if the sun bleached all the sonic character out of them. They needed the grit.
quite good
Didnt mind it.
Lovely
3/5 - nothing special here, but maybe that’s why it’s a good album: no pitfalls either
This is fine. But I've heard the Smiths, and they're better. (Even if Morrissey is a ....)
It's OK, probably a bit closer to a 2.5 for me though. It reminds me of a lot of other music on this list, for better and worse. Favorite track: "Was There Anything I Could Do?"
Discount The Smiths
Decent, palatable music. Can't say I'll remember anything about this a month from now, but at least it wasn't bad. 2.5 stars...round up to a low 3.
Absolutely love Love Goes On! Simple, but nicely written pop-rock. Found myself tapping along happily. Other than Love Goes On! very little actually stands out here. Just middle of the pack pop-rock that is occasionally quite good, but is more often forgettable. 3 / 5.
Kind of a snooze fest for the most part with a few good songs sprinkled it. Wasn't bad just nothing memorable.
The Go-Betweens were totally new to me. Enjoyable record with a consistent pop/rock/indie vibe. Nice on like a bike ride or something.
nice pop
Not bad just really boring
Ehh, it’s fine I suppose. One of those late 80’s early 90’s Post New Wave - Not Quite Yet Alternative middle of the road Indie Rock-ish albums. I don’t know who thought we all needed to hear this one, but I think something from The Replacements or The Alarm would have been a better choice. 2.5 ⭐️ rounding up because it was more Meh than Bad
This is the definition of "middle of the road" for me. 2.5 stars. Rounding up since I wouldn't totally mind spinning it again.
Fine
Kind of a generic 80s pop album. Did not mind but not going on a regular rotation. Feels like movie soundtrack music: perfectly enjoyable but would distract from what is going on otherwise.
Fairly generic, but becomes more interesting as it goes along. I appreciate the catchy melodies and jangly guitar riffs. Standout track is: “Streets Of Your Town”
Fine album. The standouts were Was There Anything I Could Do? and You Can't Say No Forever. Although a day after listen, I can’t really recall the songs so just a ok album
3.5
I first thought that this was a UK group. After listening to the album and discovering that they are from Australia, I understood why I didn't dislike this album (let me complain once more about all the unberable british pop rock albums from the 80's that this list has). This album is decent. Sounds nice, but there isn't really anything that stood up for me.
Really just okay. Not bad. Not great. But easy to listen to.
# 455 : 10/04/2025 : Quite pleasant, they've done a pretty decent job. Not much more I can say. A band and album I could come back to.
I saw it stated before, but this really is The Smiths without Morrissey. I hate saying it because Morrissey sucks, but he writes a good song. These are just boring and devoid of soul.
Worth another listen
The Smiths vibes. Tried to pay attention to lyrics but nothing really stuck as being memorable
I recognize the single. The other tracks were pretty good too
Never heard of these guys before. They're Australian. And as they might say in Australia, "Nah, yeah, they're alright." Nothing blew me away, but it's solid Smiths-esque indie fare.
This one was a pleasant surprise for me. Kind of moody sounding tone to the album. The singer was somewhere in between a more dynamic Morrissey ( without the bubble in the throat sound). And a less skilled, less dynamic old school Bono.
grew up on this band but this is far from their best. i like before hollywood more
Whenever the guy sang it was like the smiths but more unmemorable. The other songs were good. Stand-out: Clouds
I think that I’m a little bit of a sucker for jangle pop. While it isn’t a genre that I’ve explored very deeply, I’ve never listened to any similar albums and thought anything other than “This is real nice.” Which I think perfectly encapsulates this album. It’s real nice.
It's alright. Nothing amazing
A nice warm vibe going on here, and well crafted melodies and lyrics. Like it
ok
Pretty mediocre new wave, but at least it was short
I'm sure 1980s Brisbane was a great scene to be around (?), but in the scheme of things this is is some middling indie of the era. I liked Clouds, but the rest is pretty forgettable. 5.5/10
I liked the sound of this much better than a lot of 80s pop, but I still wanted something more. 3.5
Beautiful little jangle pop gem. Maybe a bit too cleanly produced for its own good.
Passed me by without me noticing much about it other than blandness.
Middle of the road Brit pop. Good fidelity and mix of music, vocals are a bit drab and boring.
Pretty decent.
I can't say this album was particularly memorable but it was quite pleasant. It kind of sounded like a lesser version of some others bands. Some tracks sounded like the Cure, some like the Waterboys, but none as good. But it wasn't bad.
Rating: 6/10 Pretty catchy but mostly forgettable.
M'a semblé un peu ennuyeux et monocorde.
Didn’t really get this
Some solid stuff on here. Nothing standout though. Simpsons: No
Tricky one because I really like Streets of Your Town. However, the rest of the album is a solid 3 stars, and I can't justify a higher rating. Probably wouldn't listen to this again.
This started off well; however, it lost momentum by the end.
Ok
Liked the production and guitars on some songs but overall nothing life changing
Not bad but nothing really stood out to me.
Not really doing it for me. It's not bad, just not my genre.
Sounds good, but nothing exceptionnal
Guitar work was decent, but the vocal was fine to annoying. I blame Lou Reed for being so good that many people have tried to copy his style and failed. “Was There Anything” was the best song, hands down.
Pretty unremarkable. I did like Was There Anything I Could Do?
Well, it’s definitely the sort out thing I would have been listening to in the late 80s, but I’ve never heard of them despite this being their 6th album apparently! I really liked the guitar work, and thankfully it provided the melody that the vocalist didn’t. It definitely got better when the female vocalist joined in on a few tracks. Highlights for me were ‘Streets of Your Town’ and ‘You Can’t Say No Forever’. Could have been a 4 star if the vocalist was better.
This album was fine, but not worth hearing before I die. Never felt like anything that special to get that type of designation.
Good. Easy. Not special.
Good. Solid 3 stars and nearly 4
Fine but largely forgotten
I’d give this one a 3.5, it was alright overall.
3.5/5
I should like this more than I do - 80s indie, intricate arrangements, nice voice - just nothing sticks with me. 3?
Feel bad to score really as I didn't listen to the whole album. I didn't recall the band name but in listening to the most listened tracks on Spotify I do remember Streets of our Town and liked it more and at the time of release. Based on this being the big hit single and expecting the rest of the album not up to the same standard, it's a 2.5/3 from me
The Go-Betweens were an Australian band that made earnest, engaging pop/alt rock. They received consistent, strong critical reception, but never gathered more that a cult following. 16 Lovers Lane is the band's sixth studio album, and is regarded as the band's best work. This is a interesting collection of catchy love songs, from a band that never quite made it.
On par with the Beatles
I’m not much for indie, but it was pleasant and well put together for what it was.
What if The Smiths, R.E.M., and an U2 cover band joined forces? Well, they would get together in a studio and create this album. This was fine. Nothing fantastic, but serviceable.
Man there were some tracks (I'm looking at you track 2... you're straight up a U2 song) that emulated other artists pretty damn well. I enjoyed this album though. It's got that late 80's early 90's vibe when the rebellious alt-rock genre was morphing into the adult alternative genre.
19/01/25 This wasn't a bad album, but nothing really stood out, so it was average.
"Streets of Your Town" is a great pop/radio rock tune but other than that this is pretty meh.
Liked some - some not so much. And good music to get going this morning.
great album!! the 80s vibe was strong and the upbeat sound had me tap my foot once and again. really enjoyed Love Goes On! and Devil’s Eye 🫶
I’ve heard this style done better before but I still enjoy the music.
A bit of a soft rock/pop from Australia. I wanted to like it more, but just couldn't, couple of catchy songs is not enough. It actually might be a stretch to call them catchy, it's just not that good.
Hard to really dig deep into the guts of this record. It's all pretty good - the songwriting, the production, the fairly hooky pop indie vibe - without ever being particularly remarkable. "Was There Anything I Could Do?" is probably my highlight - it has a bit of crackle to it and a fairly acid lyric sheet. Not really my thing, but good for what it is.
Good music to zone out to.
I typically don't enjoy pop music from the late 80s, and mostly this is not an exception. There were a few nicer tracks here though that redeemed it for me.
3/5
Ok
enjoyable listen high 3 Also, when I saw alvvays at home the Beths opened for them, they r from New Zealand and their accents r really prominent in the music and I didn't really enjoy that part of it. This band is Australian, so similar accent to New Zealand, and I dont really notice the accent that much. I wonder why some ppl sing in like generic English and others dont it's interesting to me.
5/10 - It was default Australian rock this time.
It’s alright
Another under the radar album. Like this sound. Another Aussie band
Great 80s British vibe.
Didn’t start off great, but it grew on me by the time I got almost through it so, meh. Probably don’t need to hear the rest of the discography.
It's fine and dandy Was waiting for it to come and blow me away, but it never really hit the mark. Safe, too safe to get a higher grade Scratches a 3 most likely
A very pleasant sounding album. I do Like the singer’s voice no big stand out songs but does have a distinct Aussie sound.
Sounds kinda like basic pop rock, nothing too notable on a first pass. Cattle and Cane came on after, I think I might like this band's other output better. 2.5? Rounding up to 3 based on how few women instrumentalists are on this list. Let it be said again that the Go-Go's deserved at least a four near when I started this. music: hated. (⌐■_■)
Nothing memorable. Nothing terrible.
Totally fine! Wish there was more strings on the album, but otherwise feels like a natural progression towards britpop.
good jangle pop
Never heard of them before now. Pleasant 80s indie rock. Worth another listen.
Unremarkable but enjoyable listen!
Sounds very 80s and very English (I know they are Australian but lived/recorded in England). I do not mind this at all. Rather pleasant. I am surprised I have never heard of this band before today because I would have been all over this when it was released.
A no-brainer to put on at a polite party of 45+ yr adults late in the evening when there are 8 people left just chatting on the couch and you just want to put the wine bottles back in the recycling bin and go to sleep. Painfully obvious late-80s melodic love song album. It's not bad - very easy-listening and "nice" which ends up not that interesting overall but in no way offensive either. Maybe the safest (approaching boring?) album on the list thus far but won't rankle any feathers. In a way my most milquetoast comments/review befit this album. 5/10 3 stars.
Didn't do this one justice. Will need to relisten
Actually not too bad, pretty melodic. That would've been pretty nice to listen to back in the day, as it is pretty chill.
General impression: dreamy Detailed review: This is nice. Firmly in that dream-pop, jangly alt-rock realm. It’s a little pillowy, so the songs aren’t really jumping up to grab my attention, but it’s nice. Sounds nice. It’s a good, intriguing intro to this band, but I don’t know if it’s amazing. Deeper thoughts (context): Do they have better albums? I want to listen to them, but better. Maybe I’ll just stick to exploring the Smiths or something. Score: 3.4 Number of albums left to review: 940 Number of albums from the list I’d consider “must-listens”: 36 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 25 (including this one)
2.5/5
This band was totally new to me and I found this album to be an easy and enjoyable listen. I liked this more than a lot of music I heard in the 80's. I'd listen again.
Indie rock. Ni fu ni fa
Это как бы Смитс, что одновременно и претензия, и похвала. Лучшая песня - Was There Anything I Could Do?
Streets of Your Town is a very famous song here in Australia and possibly the best tune on the record, but that's not saying much as I've always found it a bit of a dirge. Not awful, but I would not seek it out.
Not familiar with this band, but it’s actually a decent listen.
This was a welcome change from another stretch of 60s/70s music, but I’m not getting what’s so important about it.
Meh. Easy listening but nothing to write home about
Melodic pop but not any classics - pleasant but better elsewhere
What an awesome example of Australian indie 80s rock. Like the smiths playing Paul Kelly songs. Why on earth bands insist on slipping harmonica into tracks is beyond me, it’s just fucking irritating
Putting aside the heinous harmonica solo*, this was just ok - a bit boring and sounded like U2 (not a compliment) - but not awful. I just want to hear some passion. Extra star for being from Australia 🇦🇺 *Death to harmonicas
Very 90’s. Solid album
A nice album but ultimately pretty forgettable. Favorites: Was There Anything I Could Do?, Streets of Your Town, Dive For Your Memory
Listening to this album for the second time, it continues to make no impression on me. I think that might be because it sounds like a lot of things that came after it, so I want to give this album credit for being ahead of its time. It's also just not really my flavor of alternative rock. 3/5
This is what I would expect to hear if I asked A.I. to create a basic 80's album. It's good, but I doubt I ever come back to it.
Some easy listening. It's aight.
Not bad!
This music slid in one ear and out the other. Pretty unremarkable
A little bit of the Smiths, a little bit of Joy Division... it was quite good if not altogether original sounding
The australian Smiths. It was a fine record. Easy to listen to, maybe a little boring, but definitely a Smiths rip off.
This album felt like every indie rock band that I've ever listened smashed into one sad boy record. Which is probably why I enjoyed this so much. It felt like The Strokes, The Killers, Destroyer, Wolf Parade all wrapped into one. There was even one song that kind of sounded like U2 (I know, not technically indie rock.) I really enjoyed how this just moseyed along with happy and sad love songs. It's fun and easy to listen to. It kind of has that apathetic element to it where it is exactly what it is and isn't really trying for anything else. Kind of nice refresher. I had one with this one.
Basically the platonic ideal of a three star album. This thing isn't hurting anybody.
Kinda generic to me. Not a bad record but I think I could die just fine not having heard this.
Good
T'was okay.
It's pleasant but not sure this is essential. My favourites were Love Goes On! and Was There Anything I Could Do? which sounded like The Smiths-lite with its intro riff. The album doesn't overstay its welcome either.
If you were to tell ChatGPT to write you bland, generic movie montage music, this is what you’d get.
Quite an overrated pop-rock album, partly under the influence of Lou Reed or that other Aussie folk-rock act the Triffids, which would have been probably taken with a far huger grain of salt by the "critics" had it been released a couple of years down the line. But well, it was still the eighties at the time, with so much drivel being pushed forward, that this record was bound to shine a little in comparison (its stellar string arrangements on some of the songs played a part in that, I guess). So it's nothing downright horrible either. "Love Goes On" and "Quiet Heart make up for a good starting point (too bad that follow-up track "Love Is A Sign" uses almost the same guitar arrangements as the latter, because it gives you the impression that the musicians are a bit lazy here). On side two, "Was There Anything I Could Do" is also a great, lively jangle-pop cut, with a memorable chorus that's indeed The Smiths-adjacent. About the rest (including "Streets Of Your Town", which is -- quite incredibly -- a very popular song for the band's fans, or so I hear): many by-the-book harmonies and chord successions, and many songs that sound a little safe or bland by today's more sophisticated standard... Worse, the rough-around-the-edges vocals in some of those recordings fit poorly with the latter's glossy, clean-to-a-fault, eighties production values (or with Amanda Brown's evocative oboe on closer "Dive For Your Memory"). Those sorts of pop-rock records released before 1990 have not always aged well. Might be all too easy to point it out in retrospect. But you *do* need to point that out for a project such as this one. Decent songwriting can't always redeem those types of flaws in the long run. Was almost tempted to take off a whole point to the album because of how particularly boring the reviews at the top of this section -- whether laudatory or quite harsh and critical -- are, at least compared to what you can usually find there. That rare situation also conveys the idea that the record is not very inspiring, even for those who claimed they hated it, very ironically. But honestly, doing that would take the cake, wouldn't it? Going for a neutral grade instead. In a way, this is me avowing I'm not particularly entertaining as a reviewer either. Post-scriptum: after this album, Spotify played tracks of New Zealand's Dunedin scene bands The Clean and The Chills, plus a Smudge cut where the singer claimed "I Don't Want To Be Grant McClellan" (actually one of the two Go-Betweens singer-songwriters -- even if I'm not sure whether the song eventually mocked or paid tribute to him...). Interestingly, all those compositions sounded better and way more memorable than most of what can be found in *16 Lovers Lane*... 2.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 3 7.5/10 for more general purposes (5 + 2.5) Number of albums left to review: 43 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 412 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 241 (including this one, even if I doubt there will be room left for it in the end) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 306
Forgot what this was like already
Enjoyable, but quite "of its time," in my opinion. There were a lot of groups that sounded pretty much like this in the late 80s.
Decent 80s sad rock sound. Morning I haven't heard before.
This is fine. It reminds me of a lot of things that I don’t mind .
Surprise. Nice groves
This was largely inoffensive. I really didn’t feel too strongly about this one either way. It was ok. I don’t think I really needed to hear this before dying. It suffers from that incessant 80’s reverb, and just from being generally kind of bland. I really wanted to like it for a few reasons but it just wasn’t there. The band themselves seem talented and there were parts that did stand out (the vocals and guitar, namely). But not enough to write about and not enough to move this higher than three stars. Standout Tracks: Love Goes On!, Love is a Sign, I’m Alright
If you told me that this was an indie pop band from the mid 90s/early 00s, I'd believe you. It sounds like 2 different lead singers. Is this some sort of Husker Du deal? Highlights: "Love Goes On!" (nice jangle-pop), "Quiet Heart" (vocals sound like a mix of Bono and Michael Hutchence at times. I like the strings and harmonica), "The Devil's Eye" (short and sweet jangle), "Streets of Your Town" (female backing vocals and propulsive beat are an interesting touch that give it a different flavor)
I had never heard of this band, but I really enjoyed their music. Quite good and interesting.
This album really seems to be a product of its time. That’s not at all a criticism, I happen to love late 80s new wave. It just really struck me as representative of an era. This is a new album for me, somewhat to my surprise, and I’m enjoying it. Most of it. Dive for Your Memory is my favorite.
Pleasant indie pop from the late 1980s, it was like a more poppy and less interesting version of The Smiths. It was a good enough listen.
Streets of my town is a top tune, the rest not so much
Decent game
Oikein kiva! Parempi kuin usea 2000-luvun New York -indiebändi, kasari-ysärin sielu huokuu mutta kuulostaa raikkaalta, ei kalahtelevalta tai grungelta vaan pehmeältä, aidolta (hyvässä mielessä). Sanoituksissa sopivaa kepeyttä.
Kinda The Smiths without hating Morissey. I'm not sure if I had to hear it, but I'm not upset about it at least.
Big in ‘88. Or something. Every Aussie band of that period that I know seemed to be into this sort of melodic rock. (I knew three.) (Ok, four. INXS were not into this stuff. )
Sounds like The Rembrants formed a Smiths cover band. Bordering on lame, but still listenable.
C+
3.5/5
Très belles chansons mais peut-être trop homogène dans l'ensemble, un poil lassant
Apparently I listened to this back in 2016, according to my logs. Don't remember why or what turned me onto it. Either way, it's ten sweet little jangle-pop songs. Solid good-mood listening. *Heard before
Ikke banebrydende eller noget, men lækkert!
Had no expectations coming in, but enjoyed it
A decent album with sone good tracks a 3 put of 5
Some cool sounds and vibes on this album. Enjoyed more than I expected to.
Not bad! Nice easy upbeat listening.
not as good as I remembered it
Not bad, better than I thought it would be going into it.
Started out so promising. Love goes on! is a lovely song, unfortunately, everything goes downhill from there. It's same old same old and quite boring. It's a shame they could only do their thing once, because it was a very good and sweet thing.
Decent. One really good song Streets of your Town
Love Goes On! Streets of Your Town
This was quite enjoyable and fun to listen to. A collection of unpretentious songs, simple in the best way.
Another re-discovery.
Some nice jangle pop guitar but the vocal lines aren’t that interesting and it’s all just a bit forgettable
I kinda like it? When I saw 80’s pop I was ready to hate it
Pretty surprising album. Reminded a little bit of the velvet underground. Sounded a bit similar by the end but a quality album through and through.
Good songs, good listen, not too long but a bit boring tbh. Enjoyed few songsa but the album as a whole didn’t brought much to the table.
It sounded like it was all the same very-long song
I’m All Right just listening to this one time.
I actually like this album. I thought it was cute and fun. I’d probably actually give it a 3.4. I couldn’t go to 3.5 because that would round up to a four on this hole and it just isn’t a four, but it’s higher than a lot of my threes. Boy, I’d love a 10 point scale!
It’s fine. Not sure why it’s on the list.
Nice little 80's filler
Didn't think I ever heard of these cats before, but for that moment I'm the 80s, listening to this now, I think I would have liked them back then. Thick emotions, a little heavy, not overly flamboyant or too pretty. I'll give them a3 for first listen likes
Inoffensive and bland; one that didn’t linger in my memory after ending. I’m not sure exactly why, but I even found it a little irritating. Normally that would warrant a rating of 2, but I’ll go with 2.5 rounded up.
Favourite tracks: I'm alright; streets of your town; love goes on; was there anything I could do?
This has a decent feel and some good lyrics but it didn't blow me away. A bit bland or boring feeling at times. Could be me missing something.
Fun pop songs. The lyrics are well constructed. The vocals are okay. Compositions are interesting. But by the end of it I just wanted to listen to The Smiths.
None of the songs really stood out for.me but the entire album seemed like a serious attempt to transcend pop but still stay within the mainstream. Possibly give another listen sometime down the road...
Great cult band that influenced a lot of the 90s bands
Pretty decent 80s jangly alt-rock in the vein of The Church. Nothing memorable, however.
While they sound slightly dated now, this album was ahead of its time. They made a 90s record in the 80s
Nice enough pop from an 80s Australian band though I'm not sure what the significance of this album is. It's pleasant to listen to and the first few songs are pretty strong but the rest isn't particularly memorable.
A short album of pretty straightforward romantic and catchy pop songs. Just fine.
2.5 - I wouldn't say anything here is very of-note to me, but it's pleasant enough. It'd be alright background music, although I'll never go out of my way to listen to it.
extremely average, i liked some songs, most were pretty boring, generic sound
16 Lovers Lane is best een leuk album. Het lijkt op wat andere artiesten uit de jaren 80 en heeft best wat elementen waar ik muziek tof van ga vinden. Het ding is alleen dat het op al deze vlakken net iets minder is dan hun bekendere (Britse?) tegenhanger. Dan raak je snel in de vergetelheid. Dat zal -ben ik bang- na vandaag ook bij mij gebeuren. Eén moment pik ik er toch even uit. Quiet Heart is op zich een mooi rustig (beetje sentimenteel) nummer, maar de Neil-Young-achtige-mondharmonica-solo is echt van een niveautje jostiband. Het is lastig om de plaat daarna aan te laten staan. 7/10 Highlights: Love goes on! Was there anything I could do?
I'm glad we get something non UK/us, but this sounded very average to me. There are so many brilliant albums here that be comparison this seemed very boring and bland. Not offensive, just a bit meh.
Nothing super special here for me
Very earnest, sincere, but laid back to listen to. I'd have to give this more listens to really peel back the layers, but I altogether enjoyed this without it knocking my socks off. Definitely a place for this again at some point.
Liked the first two songs
Mild pop. Goes in the Australian/UK list
I'd never heard of this band before. Quite nice and jangly indie rock, reminds me a little of a more radio-friendly Pavement, so maybe ahead of its time. Doesn't strike me as super ground-breaking but I enjoyed overall, and Streets of Your Town is a good tune
Kinda like off brand the smiths, but not bad!
3-4
Angenehm
3+
Given the time period and the authors love for all things British Empire, this was a pleasant listen. nothing special but more than I expected. 3.5/5
I dug this one a bunch. Check out Cattle and Cane by the Go-Betweens. That’s a great track I was already familiar with.