BY MIKEY MIGO
You know the routine. I think of, ask friends, or even readers about some bigger artists that I may not have crossed paths with yet. There's so much music out there that it's nearly impossible to catch everything. With this special series, I take time out to listen to one band's entire studio discography. Sometimes I love what I hear, sometimes I want to put hot glue in my ear and sew them shut. Regardless, I'm being open minded and expanding my own personal world of music. This week is no different.
I won't pretend I have the slightest idea who Elliot Smith is. To be honest, I can't think of one song by the man. I know I've seen his name in many places over the years, his credibility is large, and his work has been in movies I've seen. But in large, I don't have any reference to his work at all. I do know he passed away long before his time and that these five albums would be his only finished studio work. I'm looking forward to this one a bit more than other recent picks for some reason.
So, chill out, get cozy, and take a few deep breathes as we take a first listen to the work of Elliot Smith…
ALBUM: Roman Candle
YEAR: 1994
DURATION: 30:28
The self titled "Roman Candle" kicks off the album. It's definitely lo-fi indie rock. A lot of times music within this genre sounds the same or as if the artist is trying too hard to be eccentric. Here, Smith sounds genuine. The song has the punch of a Nirvana song would at the time, but maintains a delicate form of classiness to it. "Condor Ave." has a bit more gusto to it. The folksy acoustic guitar in it reminds me of "Simon and Garfunkel". In an odd spree of song titles, "No Name #1" maintains beautiful melody in the midst of lyrics of despair. "No Name #2" starts off kind of strange, but winds up being the strongest track on the album thus far. It's not a high energy song, but it has a comfortable groove that makes the "Killing time won't stop this crime" chorus very catchy. Actually, "No Name #3" is pretty good too but just not as much as the prior. It's got groove and catchiness, but not the same impact. "Drive All Over Town", at about two and half minutes, feels too short to be a normal song but too long to be an interlude. "No Name #4" has the same issues with being a short track, but it's a more cohesive feeling experience. "Last Call" is one of best songs as well. There is a bit more anger and animosity to Smith's normal down delivery. I'm hoping for more of this on the next albums. "Kiwi Maddog 20/20" starts off sounding almost like a country western song where all you see is a bright desert horizon line. This 3:40 instrumental is a great album closer and leaves this first time listener wanting more. As I listened I read up and found that Smith never intended this to be an actual full length album, but rather a seven inch vinyl. It was definitely worth of the proper release. I didn't find myself head banging, but the music is beautiful and the lyrics feel as if they come from a very deep place inside of Smith. It's hard to believe this was recorded in a basement.
ALBUM: Elliot Smith
YEAR: 1995
DURATION: 37:23
The first track, "Needle In The Hay" is the first track that does sound familiar to me. I know it's from "The Royal Tenebaums", but I almost want to say a friend had it a mix CD at one time. It's a great song and I can already hear myself singing it to myself when no one is looking…or listening. "Christian Brothers" doesn't quite get my love as much as the first song. It's solid, but it doesn't lift off as much as "Needle In The Hay". "Clementine" starts off with a good groove and then a pretty brilliant change up with the almost lulla-by sounding vocals. "Southern Belle" has more of that "Simon and Garfunkel" sound and it's done very well. It takes a little while, but you're already long drawn in by the powerful outro. "Single File" has great guitar work in it, but is a mainly flat "just there" type of listen. "Coming Up Roses" just didn't click with me either. I can hear the quality, but the composition kind of bores me. "Satellite" is a bit better, but there's not much to say about it. "Alphabet Town" brings the album back up to quality with a beautiful composition. "St. Ides Heaven" is another great song that gets my head nodding a long to it a little along with a good ol' foot tap. The vocal layering of "Good To Go" makes it a huge stand out on this first listen. Smith's voice here is so calming that I could sleep for a month, but the lyrical content would most likely result in some pretty fucked up dreams. "The White Lady Loves You More" is in the same boat. The acoustic melody and the lower vocals make it sound as if Smith is reciting a bizarre lullaby. The album closes out with "The Biggest Lie". It' a decent closer, but didn't exactly close the album with a huge impact. This album was acoustic as the first album, has a better production sound to it but is a tad bit too easy-listening when it comes to musical tone. For something like this, a more low budget gritty sound normally works better but here it's given much more depth and puts you in a different world. I won't necessarily call it better than the first album, but it's a clear step towards something bigger.
ALBUM: Either/Or
YEAR: 1997
DURATION: 37:00
"Speed Trials" is a great start to this album. It's got a catchy melody and instantly draws you into the album. One of the first things I notice is that it's not as stripped down as the early albums. So far so good. "Alameda" almost has a trippy vibe to it, but in a good way. The guitar groove break down about two minutes in makes it a pleasure to listen to. "Ballad of Big Nothing" almost sound too poppy as if it's something I'd hear on a light rock station. It's not bad, but doesn't feel like any other tracks I've heard so far from Smith. "Between the Bars" is a pretty great track. It's one of those songs where the vocals, lyrics, music, and tone complement each other perfectly. My only complaint is that it's only 2:21 long. "Pictures of Me" is another great track. I find myself nodding a long and getting into it. "No Name No. 5" is a bit stripped down and doesn't grab me as much as the others so far on this album. It's good, but feels like a left over from past albums. "Rose Parade" delivers a very vivid description of being at the parade. The song is enjoyable. "Punch and Judy" brings a nice 2:25 track that leaves you waiting for it to really say something. The opening guitar of "Angeles" tells me off the bat that this will be a good track. It was. "Cupid's Trick" ends up being one of my favorite songs of the album and it just so happens to have the most rocking of a chorus. "2:45 AM" sounds vaguely familiar, but it could just be because it's that good. It's another pretty damn good stand out track on this album. We finish the third Elliot Smith album off with "Say Yes". I love Smith's vocal delivery here and the story he tells. IT's a great closer. This album feels as if Smith is trying to describe certain events while trying to make sense of them himself. It's not as gruff as the early stuff, but just as exploratory. The music is what makes this one so special. It just clicks. I was interested in the first two albums, but with this one I'm officially enthusiastic about Smith's work. The addition of more musical accompaniment made this very different and easier to enjoy than the first albums. The soul of the first two is still here, but the music is much more open and accessible.
ALBUM: XO
YEAR: 1998
DURATION: 44:46
We kick off with "Sweet Adeline", a powerful droning track with the same lo-trip sound as the last album but with a slightly different tone. "Tomorrow Tomorrow" is hard to describe. Its multilayered production conveys a beautiful arrangement and sound. "Waltz #2 (XO)" kicks much ass. The opening piano and the vibe is good stuff. It's a single and it feels like it. I don't mean in a "commercial" way, but rather a "this stands out and is great" fashion. The other single, "Baby Britain" follows. You can't help but tap a foot and nod a long to this one. "Pitseleh" brings up back to a more down-tempo tone. It catching me off guard and pulls me in. In "Independence Day", this continues. It's got a bouncing groove to it that erases your mind while it's on. At this point, "Bled White" is a little jarring. It's an up-tempo track that made for what could have been a great pop song at the time. "Waltz #1" is a beautiful track. It's very droning in the vocal delivery and the music is very slow and melodious. "Amity" it's a harder up-tempo track, but doesn't pull back on the melody and feel. The repeating "Amity" sung by Smith is kind of weird, but works well. It was like a really good Foo Fighter's track. "Oh Well, Okay" came and went before I could really think of a good description of it. "Bottle Up and Explode!" just doesn't do it for me. It's a bit too cheesy and makes me think of those really bad generic rock songs they play in Disney movies. It's by far my least favorite track on this album so far. The groove of "A Question Mark" brings me back. It's like an old 70's funk rock song mixed with an alternative song. It works well together. The ironic tone of "Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands" is good. This is a great track and another favorite. It's the most epic song of the albums thus far. "I Didn't Understand" closes the album off with a very droning song. It works for an amazing exit. It's surprising that this was Smith's first "major label release". It's a great re-debut. I think I liked this album a lot. I found myself spacing off and just taking it in the music for most of it. It's expansive and very soothing. It's the type of album that a college kid should have shroomed to at least one.
ALBUM: Figure 8
YEAR: 2000
DURATION: 52:06
Elliot Smith's final album begins with "Son of Sam". It's a good funk rock song. It's way more uptempo than most of the other Smith stuff. The tempo reverts back with "Somebody That I Used to Know". It's a great song that if were a little longer would of made for a great single. But then again, if it were any different it might not be as good. "Junk Bond Trader" starts off like a western score and goes into a down tempo rock track. It's not as good as I think it should have been or could have been live. "Everything Reminds Me of Her" is another track that kind of loses me. The delivery is very cheesy and makes me laugh at something that wasn't intended to be laughed at. "Everything Means Nothing to Me" is much better. It's very different, but it's done very nicely. I don't really think there's a way to describe it. It kind of reminds me when you make up words to a classical song out of boredom. Not in the randomness of it, but in the innocence. "L.A." is very solid. It's a track that I could see being used in L.A. based movies and shows. Why it wasn't used in "Californication" is beyond me. "In the Lost and Found (Honky Bach)" has piano work that carries you along for the entire song. The vocals and music are bouncy and droney at the same time. "Stupidity Tries" doesn't draw me in. It sounds poppy and lacks the substance you normally hear in the work. The softer tone and more emotive take of "Easy Way Out" bring this album's journey back to a high. "Wouldn't Mama Be Proud?" is a bit bouncier, but actually seems to address the idea of "selling out" to please others. "Color Bars" is solid, but too short to really stick with me. The 5:05 "Happiness" single is pretty solid. It stands out as one of the best tracks on the album. "Pretty Mary K" has interesting music, but doesn't do much else. It just feels kind of "there". "I Better Be Quiet Now" is solid and has more maintained quality to it. It's not as good as what I've heard, but back in the same ball park. "Can't Make a Sound" is one of the better tracks on the album, possibly the best. The instrumental of "Bye" is a great way to close the album. If only the rest of it had been this beautifully done. It's kind of strange the last studio track of Elliot Smith is titled "Bye", but soothing to this listening experience. This album is a mixed bag. At times it's great for it's rock, funk, and melody, but then it loses me as it borders country and western and lame. It's like Smith went from the prestige of "Simon and Garfunkel" to sounding like the "Onders" from "That Thing That You Do!" In all, it's a very solid album and step forward, but not on par with the impact of "XO".
THE ARTIST: ELLIOT SMITH
ALBUM YEARS: 1994 - 2000
THE VERDICT: It's very apparent that Elliot Smith wore his soul on his sleeve and poured his inner being out to the masses. I'm a bit upset I've not had my first impression of Elliot Smith by now. His pain is clear, but the presentation is sometimes flat out amazing. The discography is a bit too lo-fi for my liking for it to be a normal listening thing. Too much lofi indie rock will put me to sleep. I can fully admit and respect that Elliot Smith did what he did very well. While the music is down tempo, the depressing lyrics still pack a punch based on how emotive Smith presents his well crafted words. The albums do progress and evolve nicely. From the first album to the second and the second to the last, you can hear Elliot Smith develop his craft. I brought up "Simon and Garfunkel" a few times and I meant it every time with respect. There are not many bands in this style that I really like and that's one of them. It's like if they were from the 90's grunge era and formed one person. With each album passing, I found myself more invested into the work. It's nothing that'll blow someone's mind with just one song, but taking it Smith's work as collections is as soul expansive as any other form of art you'll find.
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