Review - Forget Yourself

The futility of a new album from The Church seems self-evident ... to everyone but The Church. Which is a good thing, as it seems that with "Forget Yourself," the long-in-the-tooth group may have actually crafted something worthwhile. Spending much of the past decade furiously retreading the same road that got them a minor hit in "Under the Milky Way," it seemed The Church had become a creatively bankrupt outlet for the four members' dueling egos. On "Forget Yourself," though, they seemed to have realized it; these songs are as sedate as they are simplified, resulting in one of the group's most engaging albums in years. Languorous and organic, each of the 14 tracks is bathed in the typical ethereal glow of guitar work from Marty Willson-Piper and Peter Koppes, but instead of being obvious attempts at tonal perfection, the sounds are more a reflection of the language the two have developed over the years. Coupled with sedate song structures and Steve Kilbey's sleepy-eyed vocals, it's a damned impressive record from a band from whom little could be expected in the surprise department.