This came out in 2004 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
I know people who swear that Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly is in the same league as Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, Ray Davies and Bob Dylan — if not better.
Well, maybe they’re right. But you’d never know it from the veteran roots artist’s 13th album Ways & Means. Which is not to say this two-disc set is an unpleasant affair — though like most double albums, it would have been much better edited down to one disc. Even so, the 49-year-old Kelly boasts an endearingly warm, lightly dusted twang; a relaxed writing style that draws you in with its unvarnished immediacy and emotional openness; and the musical skill to shift between folk, blues, country, roots-rock and even surf music with seamless ease. But if I had to compare him to anyone based on these 21 cuts, it would be a poppier John Hiatt or a more laid-back Billy Bragg. Which is still pretty good company to be in — even if doesn’t include Zimmy or The Boss.
