THEY remain a far too secret pleasure from the other side of the world.

Yet after more than 20 years of group and solo projects, Australian painterly poet Robert Forster and bittersweet visionary Grant McLennan still surf the tide of indifference with consummate songwriting craft in their lilting, thoughtful guitar pop. With their 12-year rift healed on 2000's The Friends Of Rachel Worth, the resurrected Go-Betweens take another askance, arch look at matters of fleeting happiness and lonely longing on ten beguiling, classically melodic, predominantly acoustic songs. Each writes five, the more esoteric Forster with his enquiring, conversational lyrics and quivering trepidation in his voice; the doomed romantic McLennan as wistful as a weeping willow. He even contributes a verse to Forster's Too Much Of One Thing, a sign that this second coming is a miracle indeed.

Updated: 09:40 Thursday, March 06, 2003