The Church

The Church may get lumped in with other one-hit wonders from the '80s -- its only stateside hit was "Under the Milky Way" from 1988's Starfish -- but the outfit actually has a recording history that spans over twenty years, as well as faithful fans around the world, particularly in...

By Catalina Soltero

March 11, 2004

Audio By Carbonatix

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The Church may get lumped in with other one-hit wonders from the '80s -- its only stateside hit was "Under the Milky Way" from 1988's Starfish -- but the outfit actually has a recording history that spans over twenty years, as well as faithful fans around the world, particularly in its native Australia. Apparently not every group depends on the fickle American public to dictate its career path.

With Forget Yourself, the Church's seventeenth release, the act hasn't forgotten anything. The music is still dreamy, atmospheric, full of lush keyboards and wispy vocals. The songs are easily adaptable from swaying on the dance floor to reminiscing about a misspent youth, even for those still misspending. Eighties kitsch is cool again -- just check the stock at Hot Topic or Forever 21. Heck, even Target is full of cutesy Hello Kitty paraphernalia -- so why not a disc of time-bending tracks like those on Forget Yourself? From the aptly titled aural expeditions "Sealine" and "Song in Space" to the more danceable "See Your Lights," the Church boys unfold thick layers of nostalgia. There's no new ground being trod here; in fact, listeners might have a hard time differentiating this release from those in the "oldies" rack. But the retilled soil is comfortable, and the view into the past is enjoyable. Floating along from one melody to the next, you just might forget yourself.

Catalina Soltero

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