Paul Kelly: Ways and Means : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

In the past two decades, Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly has delivered a slew of finely crafted albums of roots rock with a Down Under flavor. His new double CD, Ways and Means, is perhaps his best yet, overflowing with catchy hooks and stick-in-your-gourd lyrics. Working with producer Tchad Blake, Kelly put his up-tempo numbers on disc one, opening with an instrumental Ennio Morricone homage ("Gunnamatta") and moving through crunchy-textured story songs and odes to love and lust ("Heavy Thing"). Disc two is filled with spare, moody ballads, punctuated by haunting pedal steel or soulful B3 organ, as on the Stax-Volt-ish sizzler "You Broke a Beautiful Thing." Throughout both discs, Kelly's conversational tone convey equal parts angst, joy and passion; hopefully, Means will bring him some more recognition on these shores.

HOLLY GEORGE-WARREN
(RS 945, April 1, 2004)