Robert Forster, The Candle and The Flame

"In early July last year, Karin Bäumler, my wife and musical companion for thirty-two years, was diagnosed with a confronting case of ovarian cancer. It was a time of shock and grief, and that same month, she embarked on a regime of chemotherapy treatment.

Ever since we met, Karin and I have sung and played music together in our home, and in these dark days we turned to music once again. I had a batch of new songs I’d written over the last years, and we started playing them together. Our son Louis often dropped in for a meal and a chat and soon he began joining us on guitar. One night, when sitting cross-legged on the couch, after we had played a song, Karin looked up from her xylophone and said, ‘When we play music, is the only time I forget I have cancer.’ That was a big moment." Robert Forster. 

Australia's The Go-Betweens was one of the best bands that I had never heard of back in the '80's. I only discovered them and Robert Forster (one half of the founding members) years later. I wish that this had happened way sooner. Forster is an earnest and heartfelt songwriter who's made a lot of memorable music over many years. This is once again the case with his eighth and most personal solo album, The Candle and The Flame, written after his wife Karin's cancer diagnosis. Home-recorded with his family, reflecting on his life's journey with Karin and family, Forster's album IS a life affirming family affair that is moving and touching and had me reflecting on my own life's journey with my wife and family.