release date: Feb. 24, 2003
format: digital (10 x File, FLAC)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,66]
producer: The Go-Betweens
label: Trifekta - nationality: Australia
Track highlights: 1. "Caroline and I" - 2. "Poison in the Walls" - 3. "Mrs. Morgan" - 6. "Crooked Lines" - 8. "Make Her Day"
8th studio album by The Go-Betweens released 2½ years after The Friends of Rachel Worth (Sep. 2000) is once again with a changed line-up in the 'supporting roles' of a band that is essentially no more than a duo-project. Now officially, the band is back as a quartet with the two founders at the front, the songwriters and composers Robert Forster and Grant McLennan, who are both credited on vocals and various guitars (Forster is also credited on organ and piano). As on the predecessor, they are here backed by bassist Adele Pickvance, who is also credited on keyboards and backing vocals, and then new member Glenn Thompson is seen on drums, electric guitar, organ, keyboards, and backing vocals. Beyond these, only a small duo of string instrumentalists are credited musical contributions.
Stylistically, there are no major changes since the 2000 revival release, but as a positive contrast, this is a much more cohesive collection of songs, with the two songwriters actually sounding like they've been working together on the new tracks and not 'only' have met in the studio with a handful of their own individual tracks, as they had become accustomed to in the years after their break-up in '88. The album contains an expected even number of 10 new tracks, which typically indicate five songs by Forster and five by McLennan, only this time they don't make a big fuzz about telling us who wrote what song. Instead, all tracks are credited Forster / McLennan, although they are believed to have contributed roughly equally with lyrical and musical contributions. They match each other in unison - and not that they didn't do that before, but it's as if they rise together on more optimistic notes, and perhaps the title suggests exactly what is seen on the cover - the only album by the band without actual photos of the band members - a reflection of a lighter lyrical content. Fact is, many of their earlier songs were woven and soothed in bittersweet melancholy. In contrast, they here sort of narrate in lighter spheres adding tailored vocal harmonies and chamber pop arrangements. The only thing I miss are a number of distinctive strong songs, and seen as a whole the album is perhaps a bit too cohesive with the two songwriters tiptoeing along more or less down the same path on golden rays of sunshine.
Expectedly, Bright Yellow Bright Orange was met by positive reviews and was even nominated, without winning, Best Album at the Australian Music Awards but The Go-Betweens now sound like they have found their footing and are back on course again. And nevertheless, it's always a pleasure to hear new songs with this classic songwriting duo.
[ allmusic.com, Blender, Q Magazine, Uncut 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3 / 5, 👉The Guardian 5 / 5 stars ]
