Hunters: Dashed Hopes

** 1/2HUNTERS & COLLECTORS. “Fate.” I.R.S. Hunters & Collectors continues down the musical path it took with 1986’s “Human Frailty” LP. Rather than the busy, cluttered avant-rock that marked--and sometimes marred--the Aussie band’s earlier work, H&C; again opts for leaner, cleaner, horn-spiked tunefulness to frame singer-lyricist Mark Seymour’s anguished crooning. And while on “Frailty” he explored relationships coming apart or going haywire, a lot of his impressionistic phrases and images here are tied to squandered opportunities, dashed hopes, broken dreams. But he isn’t just a kill-joy casting some disturbing pop pall. Implied in some of these pieces (and stated in others) is the idea that these disheartening developments aren’t merely controlled by “Fate.” His advice: Hang in there, step forward, make a commitment, take some action. Then these stories could have happier endings.