From street musician on the streets of San Francisco to house band at Captain Tony's in Key West, Phil has remained true to his vision as a songwriter in a style all his own; aiming for the bar set by John Prine, Kris Kristofferson, and Steve Earle. On his initial CD "Don't Blame The Devil" Phil ranges in style from the title song, a jazzy homage to his own admittedly laid back lifestyle to the haunting ballad "Death Row Blues", an insightful peek into the mind of a condemned killer. In between these two ends of the spectrum lies "Lucky Dog", a lighthearted look at dog as man or vice-versa. "Profile Stone" is a decidedly Appalachian ballad with all the requisite themes including love, betrayal, and murder. "Reidsville Girl" is a beautifully written autobiographical cautionary tale about a fickle lover. "Something Worth Having" recounts the origin of both his work ethic and his first guitar. "Buddy" (co-written with his brother, Brian) is a country rocker, replete with a fine pedal steel foundation, and a twist as worthy as any Music Row hit single. Anyone who has had a dog who died will relate to "Buckyboy", a tribute to his fine four-legged friend of ten years. A Carter Family style tune about adoptive children, "Heaven on the Hill" is his favorite effort simply because of the heartfelt message of the lyric. Finally, "Allergic to Work", a tune so iconic several deluded plagiarists have falsely claimed authorship (luckily he copyrighted the song , but not before it was recorded by a diverse group of musicians on both sides of the Atlantic) puts the cap on the CD with an amusing story of an unfortunate fellow with an all too common malady. So, there it is, an interesting compilation of a diverse set of songs by North Carolina songwriter Phil Kelly. Listen, enjoy and tell your friends.