Calling music “jangle pop” should be considered a misnomer when that jangle doesn’t glisten. Isn’t that the whole point? You know what did glisten? 16 Lovers Lane. Or in particular, the sun-soaked ray riff of “Streets of Your Town.” Every single Go-Betweens album that isn’t 16 Lovers Lane has this exact problem, including Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express. A joyous racket complete with fluttery guitar playing and an assortment of strings that aren’t rendered beautifully.

The production is lacking; the instruments sound thick and flat, and are kept down at earth by Forster and McLennan’s weary, weak vocals. Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express is light, fluffy, and busy enough to be enjoyable fun but lacks the additional invitation to search for depth. The subtle pains of 16 Lovers Lane lack without that contrast.

The sounds don’t beg to be heard again instantly, and as this is half jangle and half pop, it underwhelms on both fronts. This would be easy to accept if the occasional glimpses of great songwriting and color weren’t there. It makes the Go-Betweens a frustratingly “good” band rather than one that could just be written off. You can just barely skip their non-16 Lovers Lane albums, but it’s also not completely worth it. What a drag.