Paul Kelly - Words & Music (White)

by Paul Reidy
BMA - SEP-1998

Drummers get a bad rap don't they? Bass players aren't far behind. Generally they are the last people mentioned in any article. However, the rhythm section of Peter Luscombe and Steven Hadley are the base for "Words & Music". Kelly himself has said that the album was built from the groove up and that's certainly borne out.

The band is made up of several exceptional players. Spencer P. Jones and Shane O'Mara form a three way guitar tussle with Kelly. Bruce Haymes keyboards add great atmosphere to the album. Vital cameos come from Rebecca Barnard (Rebecca's Empire), Monique Brumby and Renee Geyer. These players have backed each other in different formats for some time and the tightness comes through.

Despite the quality of the band I keep coming back to the groove of the rhythm section and Kelly's maturity as a singer. Always a superb writer, as he gets older Kelly's singing gets better and he is more willing to experiment. Check 'Little Kings' for the falsetto of the verses to the strident chorus. He makes 'It Started With A Kiss' his own, showing himself to be a fine interpretive singer.

The songs are a disparate lot, but that rhythm & Kelly's voice provides the glue to keep it a cohesive piece of work. This even more surprising when you consider that some of the songs have been B-Sides to prior releases and released prior to the Greatest Hits recording. Kelly's subject matter is covering similar territory , love lost and found, vignettes of life. The difference between his writing and so many others is his eye for detail and the different angle from which he attacks these themes. 'Nothing On My Mind's' words seem to spill forward from a drunken subconscious; 'Words & Music' and 'Charlie Owen's Slide Guitar' both celebrate his love for music from the past and present. The duets show Kelly is happy to share the spotlight. The joyous rock of 'Saturday Night and Sunday Morning' should be a hit, both on the radio and live.

Like all his post Messenger albums Kelly occasionally misses the mark, but the experimentation means the bullseyes hit harder and fresher than ever. Check the Spaghetti Disco of 'Beat Of Your Heart' or the duet 'She Answers the Sun (Lazybones)' as examples.

"Words & Music" suits as a title, although Kelly is known for his lyrics, he never overdoes it. They fit the mood of the music. After the overdue success of "Songs From The South" it will be interesting to see if the newly won fans will hang on for the ride.

Note you also get a bonus 7 Track sampler featuring, Kate Cebrano, The Mavis's + 5 more Mushroom label mates.