Album: Stolen Apples
Artist: Paul Kelly
Label: Capitol/EMI
Sounds like: Steve Earle, Bob Dylan

This latest album from Melbourne’s lauded singer-songwriter was meant to show the application of his usual poetic insight to religion—but when he actually focuses on religion (most of the album doesn’t), it’s pretty much the usual stereotyping of fundamentalists. The opening songs feature a bluesy, growling guitar tone, much like Steve Earle in his angry “Jerusalem” but these lions are one side of the album, with more gentle lambs, like the Dylanesque “The lion and the lamb” and “The foggy fields of France” making up the rest. The rocking “Right outta my head” is merely unnecessarily crude, rather than being youthful as some have suggested but a song like “Please leave your light on” has a tender and melancholy tone that approaches the Southern gospel-like longings of a sinner for salvation.

Nicks rating: 3/5