Fever Longing Still

Fever Longing Still
Studio album by
Released1 November 2024 (2024-11-01)
StudioRoundhead, New Zealand[1]
Length41:41
LabelUniversal
Producer
  • Paul Kelly
  • Steven Schram
Paul Kelly chronology
Paul Kelly's Christmas Train
(2021)
Fever Longing Still
(2024)
Singles from Fever Longing Still
  1. "Taught by Experts"
    Released: 2 August 2024[2]
  2. "Going to the River with Dad"
    Released: 16 August 2024[1]
  3. "Houndstooth Dress"
    Released: 27 September 2024[3]
  4. "All Those Smiling Faces"
    Released: 27 September 2024[4]

Fever Longing Still is the twenty-ninth studio album by Australian musician Paul Kelly, released on 1 November 2024.[2] The album's title is lifted from William Shakespeare's Sonnet 147.[2]

Upon announcement on 1 August 2024, Kelly said "There has been a long gap since the last album of new songs and I realise now that this record is a bit like Gossip, an album with a long gestation where the songs are all quite different to each other in style."[2]

Singles

[edit]

Lead single is a re-recorded version of "Taught by Experts", which is included on his Live, May 1992 album and recorded on his 1999 album, Smoke.[5][6]

"Going to the River with Dad" was released on 16 August 2024 as the album's second single.

Reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Rolling Stone Australia
The Guardian
Americana UK

James Jennings from Rolling Stone Australia said "Across 12 tracks, several classic Kelly personas appear: the lustful horndog, the country crooner and pop-rock powerhouse. Capturing nostalgia is perhaps Kelly's finest gift, and here there’'s two heartstring-tuggers up there with his best."[7] In a positive review, Bernard Zuel from The Guardian said "the Melbourne songwriter goes back to basics – assembling a classic rock band who tumble through tracks of desire and devotion."[8]

Graeme Tait from Americana UK said "Kelly's songs endeavour to decipher the language of love in all its different shades, and with Fever Longing Still, he has once again delivered an album that is both a captivating and immersive listen, that immediately grabs the attention and holds it right to the final note."[9]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Paul Kelly; "All Those Smiling Faces" written with Dana Gioia; "Eight Hours Sleep" written with Wendell Berry and Billy Miller. All tracks are produced by Kelly and Steven Schram.

Fever Longing Still track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Houndstooth Dress"4:05
2."Love Has Made a Fool of Me"4:08
3."Taught by Experts"3:01
4."Hello Melancholy, Hello Joy"2:54
5."Northern Rivers"2:53
6."Double Business Bound"4:08
7."Let's Work It Out in Bed"2:50
8."All Those Smiling Faces"3:40
9."Harpoon to the Heart"3:21
10."Back to the Future"3:06
11."Eight Hours Sleep"3:41
12."Going to the River with Dad"3:54
Total length:41:41

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Fever Longing Still
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[10] 3

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Something for the weekend: Paul Kelly "Going to the River with Dad"". Americana. 16 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d "Paul Kelly Announces New Album 'Fever Longing Still'". Rolling Stone Australia. 2 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  3. ^ "Paul Kelly releases Houndstooth Dress". 27 Magazine. 28 September 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Song Premiere: Paul Kelly "All Those Smiling Faces"". American Highway. 28 September 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  5. ^ "Paul Kelly Announces 29th Studio Album 'Fever Longing Still'". Music Feeds. 1 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  6. ^ "Paul Kelly Previews 'Fever Longing Still' With New Song 'Taught by Experts'". Noise11. 2 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  7. ^ "Paul Kelly's Many Selves Simmer on 'Fever Longing Still'". Rolling Stone Australia. 1 November 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  8. ^ "Paul Kelly: Fever Longing Still – an old-school variety show with old-school oomph". The Guardian. 1 November 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  9. ^ "Paul Kelly "Fever Longing Still"". Americana UK. 7 November 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  10. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 11 November 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024.