Paul Kelly : Fever Longing Still Review
by Shannon Smith
Paul Kelly is one of those songwriters who moved beyond writing catchy songs. Instead, he paints vignettes of the human experience with his lyrics. With Fever Longing Still, the iconic singer-songwriter embraces a timeless rock ethos, blending poetic lyrics with melodies that strike the heart like a well-aimed arrow. The result is a record that is alive with unflinchingly honest, a testament to Kelly’s mastery of his craft.
The album opens with “Houndstooth Dress,” a vibrant and emotionally charged track that sets the tone for the entire record. It’s a bittersweet love song wrapped in Kelly’s signature storytelling, blending vivid imagery with raw vulnerability. The opening lines, “I remember you standing there / In that houndstooth dress, the wind in your hair,” immediately transport the listener into a moment frozen in time, brimming with nostalgia and longing.
Musically, the track bursts forth with a jangling guitar riff and a steady drumbeat that carry an undercurrent of restless energy. The melody’s infectious hooks are balanced by the lyrics’ introspective tone, creating a compelling juxtaposition. Kelly’s voice, slightly frayed at the edges, imbues every word with a lived-in authenticity, making the listener feel the weight of the memories he’s conjuring.
The chorus, “But the past won’t let me be / It’s stitched in the seams of that dress I see,” is as much a lament as it is an acknowledgment of how deeply the past intertwines with the present. The houndstooth dress becomes a symbol of love, loss, and the inability to fully escape what’s gone. It’s a quintessential Kelly moment—transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary through a perfect union of lyrical poetry and melodic richness.
“Houndstooth Dress” is an unforgettable opener, drawing listeners into the emotional landscape of Fever Longing Still with a deft balance of grit and grace.
“Love Has Made a Fool of Me” shifts gears with its acoustic pop-rock strums echoing the intimacy of a late-night confession, pulling you into this reflective ballad. Kelly’s voice, weathered and resolute, carries the weight of regret and resilience. The track burns slow but steady, its ember-like intensity capturing the fragility of human connections. The male and female vocal harmonies add texture.
Then there’s “Taught by Experts,” a standout that channels the melodic energy of rock’s golden age. It’s a song that pulls from a Springsteen by way of Melbourne esthetic, with Kelly turning ordinary moments into extraordinary reflections. The guitars shimmer and swell, lifting the chorus into anthemic territory. This is Kelly at his best—his storytelling as vivid as the colors of a sunset over the Outback.
On “The Grit and the Silk,” Kelly leans into the album’s sonic duality, juxtaposing jangling electric riffs with fittingly framed shifts in tone and texture. The interplay of light and shadow feels like a musical metaphor for the album’s thematic core. Over chiming guitars and a driving beat, Kelly’s lyrics weave opposites into harmony: “We’re the yeast and the rising bread / We’re the quick who’ll soon be dead.” This juxtaposition creates a rich tapestry of emotional and philosophical depth, as Kelly explores the interwoven nature of joy and sorrow.
Musically, the track brims with energy, driven by an upbeat tempo that contrasts its reflective lyrics. The instrumentation, from the crisp percussion to the soaring guitar lines, mirrors the tension and resolution found in the lyrics. Kelly’s vocal delivery is particularly striking here, alternating between a playful cadence and a more introspective tone, capturing the song’s essence of embracing life’s contradictions.
The chorus, with its repeated declaration of “Joy, joy, joy, joy!” acts as both a celebration and a rallying cry, urging listeners to find beauty in the bittersweet. It’s an infectious and thought-provoking track that encapsulates the album’s thematic heart—a meditation on the coexistence of opposites in the human experience. “Hello Melancholy, Hello Joy” is a standout track, marrying profound lyricism with an irresistible melody.
Fever Longing Still is successful because of Paul Kelly’s ability to blend poetic depth with melodic melodies, making this record resonate whether you’re a fan of Dylan-esque storytelling, the intimacy of Leonard Cohen, or the melodic sweep of Tom Petty, Kelly offers something that feels uniquely timeless, this is the sound of a master at work—gritty, graceful, and unflinchingly human.