Paul Kelly Seventy
Paul Kelly's Seventy arrives as a quietly assured reflection on ageing, craft and companionship, a record whose plainspoken narratives make its strengths immediately apparent. Critics point to a warm, unflashy mood across the collection, and the consensus suggests that Seventy rewards repeat listens rather than theatrical gestures.
Across two professional reviews that produced an 80/100 consensus score, critics consistently praise the album's storytelling and thematic focus on mortality, perseverance and regret. Glide Magazine and The Guardian both single out “Rita Wrote A Letter” as a standout - a melodic, sturdy sequel that anchors the record - while “The Body Keeps The Score” and “Tell Us A Story (Part B)” recur as highlights for their conversational charm and emotional muscle. Reviewers note familiar folk-rock arrangements and elegantly crafted lyrics, with songs like “I Keep On Coming Back For More” and album staples such as “The Magpies” reinforcing a sense of continuity across Kelly's catalog.
While praise centers on Kelly's ease with narrative storytelling and the humane clarity of his observations, critics also imply a deliberate restraint: the record's virtues lie in intimacy and familiarity rather than reinvention. That balance - intimate reflection without grandstanding - frames Seventy as a worthy, thoughtful addition to Paul Kelly's oeuvre. For readers searching for a concise Seventy review, or answers to queries like "best songs on Seventy" and "is Seventy good," the critic consensus points to several clear highlights and an overall warmly received set of songs.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Rita Wrote A Letter
2 mentions
"Kelly gracefully yet forcefully renders original material like “Rita Wrote A Letter”"— Glide Magazine
Sailing To Byzantium
1 mention
"Taking a poem by W. B. Yeats, Kelly and co-writer James Ledger composed music as rich as the verbiage"— Glide Magazine
The Body Keeps The Score
2 mentions
"While “The Body Keeps The Score” casts an ominous shadow"— Glide Magazine
Kelly gracefully yet forcefully renders original material like “Rita Wrote A Letter”
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Tell Us A Story (Part A)
Don't Give Up On Me
Rita Wrote A Letter
The Body Keeps The Score
I Keep On Coming Back For More
Take It Handy
Happy Birthday, Ada Mae
The Magpies
Made For Me
Sailing To Byzantium
My Body Felt No Pain
I'm Not Afraid Of The Dark
Tell Us A Story (Part B)
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 2 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
With the plainspoken clarity that has defined his work, Paul Kelly on Seventy mines the passage of time and finds solace in craft and company. The reviewer singles out “Rita Wrote A Letter” and “I Keep On Coming Back For More” as instances where Kelly renders aging thought-provoking and resilient, while the sequel “Tell Us A Story (Part B)” bookends the record with conversational charm. There is tenderness in “Happy Birthday, Ada Mae” and muscular insistence in “The Body Keeps The Score”, each track underscoring why these are the best songs on Seventy. The album's best tracks feel like prisms - plain, potent, and humane, exactly the reasons listeners will search for the best tracks on Seventy and the best songs on Seventy.
Key Points
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The best song is effective because it turns aging into crystalline, thought-provoking narrative through plainspoken delivery.
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The album's core strengths are honest reflection, understated arrangements, and consistent musicianship that foreground storytelling.
Themes
Critic's Take
Paul Kelly sounds at ease on Seventy, a warm, unflashy collection where the best songs - notably “Rita Wrote a Letter” and “The Magpies” - stick like glue and reward repeat listens. Andrew Stafford writes in a measured, admiring tone, noting that the album is built from classic folk-rock arrangements and elegantly crafted lyrics, so the best tracks feel inevitable rather than forced. He highlights “Rita Wrote a Letter” as a sturdy, melodic sequel that clings after a couple of plays, while “The Magpies” carries on Kelly’s long-established strengths. The result answers searches for the best songs on Seventy with a simple claim: these memorable, easy-to-like tracks are the album’s sustained high points.
Key Points
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Rita Wrote A Letter is the best song because its sturdy melody and emotional continuity make it cling after a couple of listens.
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The album’s core strengths are Kelly’s elegant lyrics, warm folk-rock arrangements, and a reflective theme of ageing and mortality.