Album Review: Robert Forster - Songs To Play

That striped sunlight sound is back. The first solo album in seven years for erstwhile The Go-Betweens frontman Robert Forster finds him once again exploring the sunny upbeat terrain that's so aurally representative (and cognisant) of his hometown Brisbane, and this tranquil approach suits this strong batch of songs down to the ground.

Forster enlisted the help of locals Scott Bromley and Luke McDonald (of The John Steel Singers) — as well as his drummer Matt Piele and violinist/vocalist Karin Baumler — and while they mesh perfectly it's unsurprisingly the songs themselves which define Songs To Play. It's a diverse batch (albeit never straying too far from Forster's long-established template), covering classic pop (Learn To Burn), meandering indie rock (Disaster In Motion), and even vague bossa nova (Love Is Where It Is). Gently cascading acoustics and beautifully languid melodies define Let Me Imagine You, the funtastic I Love Myself And I Always Have is tongue-in-cheek but contains kernels of truth ("I march to my own beat") while I'm So Happy For You is indelibly positive.

It's wonderfully sparse — space is imperative to the appeal — and Forster is at the top of his game both vocally and lyrically. The routinely strong narratives — and the rich imagery that he summons so effortlessly — are delivered in that inimitably grandiose-yet-laidback manner which has long served him so well, fostering that begrudging wisdom. The inspiring sounds of a great songwriter relaxed, confident and subtly stretching his substantial wings.