Search - Paul Kelly :: Songs From the South 1 & 2

Australia's greatest

Karen L. Hunt | Sydney, Australia | 03/05/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Since no-one has commented on this collection yet, I'm compelled to do so to fill the gaping gap. Paul Kelly is quite simply the greatest Australian songwriter ever to have worked in the conventional singer-songwriter sphere (usually with his band). In Australia he is deservedly a living institution and unofficial national treasure. I'd only have to hop the fence (I'm in Western Australia) to find someone who agrees. He writes unpretentious songs full of heart and meaningful observation, and he likes to tell stories. He's made a lot of albums, so this collection doesn't have all his good songs, but it does have most of his best ones. Kelly doesn't have a great voice, but it's more than adequate and he knows his limits. Some of his material is easier to relate to if you're Australian or know a bit about the place, but anyone who likes good songs could appreciate the rest and catch up on the Australianisms later if they felt like it. If you haven't heard of Paul Kelly before and are wondering why, it's probably because he's a low-key kind of guy who doesn't go in for hype. He just keeps on plugging away at his art, year in year out, more solid than Ayers Rock/Uluru (because it's actually quite crumbly)."