Paul Kelly Releases New Album “FEVER LONGING STILL”
Photo Credit: Joe Brennan
Australian singer/songwriter and rock guitarist Paul Kelly has released his latest single, “All Those Smiling Faces.” The track is off Kelly’s new album Fever Longing Still. Kelly’s love of poetry inspired the single.
“Thomas Hardy’s poem ‘Heredity’ is the beating heart of this song. Other poems joined the party. Dana Gioia’s Finding A Box Of Family Letters and Wislawa Szymborska’s Letters Of The Dead. Things got crowded, just like a family BBQ. Still, I managed to get a few words in here and there.”
- says Paul Kelly
For the album’s title, Fever Longing Still, Kelly looked to Shakespeare for inspiration. The words appear in a line in Sonnet 147. Kelly has been a longtime admirer of the Great Bard’s work since his days as a schoolboy. This love of literature shows in Kelly’s lyricism which utilizes vivid wordplay and imagery to connect with listeners emotionally. The following line from “All Those Smiling Faces” conveys why Kelly is considered one of rock’s preeminent wordsmiths:
“Down the years the family face / Keeps jumping around from place to place / A look, a shape, a nose, an eye / That everlasting thing that’s never gonna die.”
In addition to his literary influences, Kelly credits his band with guiding the album’s direction.
“The band is awesome on this, serious, full of intent. I don’t set out with an album in mind. I never know what the themes are until I am in the middle of doing a record.”
- says Kelly
Kelly continued to praise his band for their contributions to Fever Longing Still.
“Looking back on what we’ve done with these songs, it’s really a band record. That made me reflect on the band's longevity, this squad. Peter Luscombe (drums) has been with me for more than 30 years, Bill McDonald (bass), and Dan Kelly (guitar) for 20. Even the newbies Cameron Bruce (keys) and Ash Naylor (guitar) have been with me since 2007. “Our philosophy is eclectic; we want to make each song different from the last. I love that when I bring a new song to them, it can take on a completely new life.”
- Kelly says
FEVER LONGING STILL Tracklisting
Houndstooth Dress
Love Has Made A Fool Of Me
Taught By Experts
Hello Melancholy, Hello Joy
Northern Rivers
Double Business Bound
Let's Work It Out In Bed
All Those Smiling Faces
Harpoon To The Heart
Back To The Future
Eight Hours Sleep
Going To The River With Dad
Fever Longing Still is Paul Kelly’s first album of original music since his 2018 release Nature. This is a momentous time for Kelly as he is celebrating 50 years as a performer.
“There has been a long gap since the last album of new songs, and I realize now that this record is a bit like Gossip, an album with a long gestation where the songs are all quite different in style.”
- Kelly says
While he took a few years off, Kelly shows on Fever Longing Still is still a vibrant artist who continues to create engaging music.
Fever Longing Still is out now via Gawd Aggie / Cooking Vinyl.
