''Nature'' is the 24th studio album by Australian musician Paul Kelly, released on 12 October 2018. At the

ARIA Music Awards of 2019 The ARIA Music Awards of 2019 are the 33rd Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) and consist of a series of awards, including the 2019 ARIA Artisan Awards, ARIA ...

, the album won ARIA Award for Best Adult Contemporary Album.

Background and recording

In August 2017, Paul Kelly released his 23rd studio album ''Life Is Fine''. The album was a success, giving Kelly his first ever

ARIA In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...

number-one album, and winning four

ARIA Music Award The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austra ...

s at the

ARIA Music Awards of 2017 The 31st Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) are a series of award ceremonies which include the 2017 ARIA Artisan Awards, ARIA Hall of Fame Awards, ARIA Fine ...

. With most of the songs written over the course of several years and dating back to the recording sessions for albums such as ''

The Merri Soul Sessions ''The Merri Soul Sessions'' or ''Paul Kelly Presents: The Merri Soul Sessions'' is the twentieth studio album by Australian musician, Paul Kelly, which was issued on 12 December 2014 on his own label, Gawdaggie Records, and distributed by Unive ...

'', ''

Seven Sonnets & a Song ''Seven Sonnets & a Song'' is the twenty-first studio album by Australian musician, Paul Kelly, which was issued on 22 April 2016 on his own label, Gawdaggie Records, and distributed by Universal Music Australia. Kelly composed music for seve ...

'' and ''Life Is Fine'', ''Nature'' focuses on human nature's small place in the natural world. Kelly said: "I didn't realise I had the makings of another album until I put the songs in a folder and saw the titles staring me in the face. Sometimes you don't know what you're doing until you look back. I think of ''Nature'' as a companion piece to ''Life Is Fine'', itself full of moons, rain, rocks, rivers, seas, smells and lovers." "A bastard like me" was written to honour Aboriginal activist Charlie Perkins. The title of the song is taken from Perkins' autobiography, and the video features footage from his life.

Reception

Mikey Cahill from the ''

Herald Sun The ''Herald Sun'' is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia, published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Corp Australia, itself a subsidiary of the Murdoch owned News Corp. The ''Herald S ...

'' described how Kelly in ''Nature'' is "staying relevant and relishing the opportunity to pump out another 12 mostly great songs." ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

'' Steve Horowitz opined, " eput five classic poems by major writers on his latest album of a dozen songs... While it's wonderful that Kelly brings these words to life for non-poetry readers to enjoy, there is something tawdry about the whole affair." Brian Parker from ''Your Music Radar'' indicated, "Conceptually this album works, where there is something otherworldly about it. It seems to question the existence of nature and the forces of nature, the human soul, the cycle of birth and death, and of the beauty of being alive, in love, but also the gravity of the inevitable."

Track listing

All music written by Paul Kelly and Bill McDonald.

Personnel

* Paul Kelly – lead and backing vocals, acoustic and electric guitars * Bill McDonald – bass guitar, arrangement * Cameron Bruce – piano, keyboards, organ, backing vocals * Ashley Naylor – lead guitar, backing vocals * Dan Kelly - rhythm guitar, backing vocals *

Peter Luscombe Peter Luscombe is an Australian drummer and composer. Career Luscombe was a member of The Black Sorrows from 1985 to 1993 appearing on the albums ''A Place in the World'' (1986), ''Dear Children'' (1987), ''Hold on to Me'' (1988), ''Harley and ...

– drums, percussion, backing vocals *

Kate Miller-Heidke Kate Melina Miller-Heidke (; born 16 November 1981) is an Australian singer and songwriter. Although classically trained, she has generally followed a career in alternative pop music. She signed to Sony Australia, Epic in the US and RCA in the ...

– backing vocals on "Bound to Follow (Aisling Song)" *

Vika Bull Vika and Linda, also known as Vika and Linda Bull, are an Australian vocal duo consisting of Vika Susan Bull (born 1966) and her younger sister, Linda Rose Bull . They came to prominence after singing backing vocals in Joe Camilleri's band The ...

– backing vocals *

Linda Bull Vika and Linda, also known as Vika and Linda Bull, are an Australian vocal duo consisting of Vika Susan Bull (born 1966) and her younger sister, Linda Rose Bull . They came to prominence after singing backing vocals in Joe Camilleri's band The ...

– backing vocals * Madeleine Kelly – backing vocals * Memphis Kelly – backing vocals * Alice Keath – backing vocals

Charts

References