Elly Roberts reviews
Elliott Smith: New Moon
Distributed by
Domino
- May 2007
- Rating: CD 1: 10/10, CD 2: 4/10
As Elliott Smith,
Steven Paul Smith, born Omaha Nebraska August 6 1969, he became a cult
artist in the USA.
The university graduate in Political Philosophy had long yearned to further
his songwriting career which began as a teenager. His major break came when
some of his songs featured in the film Good Will Hunting. His cover
of The Beatles’ Because appeared in the OS of American Beauty.
In the UK, he charted lowly (top 60) with three singles and one album,
Figure 8 (no.37 in 2000), though he generated a cult following in
the process. In October 2003 aged 34 years, the deeply troubled artist died
after a single stab wound to the chest, apparently self inflicted. Smith
had battled with drink and drugs and is thought to have committed suicide,
apparently, after a row with his girlfriend.
As a performer, he became a cornerstone of the burgeoning indie-rock scene
in Portland Oregon. Smith is renowned for his penchant sombre tone and dark
lyrics: principally his own unhappiness, drug problems, and heartache.
It’s a profoundly potent mix, as we get quite close to the writer’s mindset,
which is probably why some of these songs were not originally released.
So, you might think that the entire repertoire is downcast. Naturally, it has
strong shades of melancholy, but there are songs that have genuine appeal,
such as Going Nowhere and gorgeous Looking Over My Shoulder
along with beat driven New Monkey.
His husky voice often dips in to a hushed mode best found on opener Angel
In The Snow and First Timer, which in their own way are simple
acoustic jaunts. All Cleaned Out is a delightful stripped ballad with
sweet harmonies and melodies. Closer Thirteen is just man and acoustic
and it’s one of his finest moments here.
On CD 2, possibly the weaker of the two discs, he does shine particularly on
a Paul Simon-like simple ballad called Whatever (Folk song in C).
In fact it’s the best song on the entire collection. He’s less effective on
the frenetic Big Decision, Place Holder, Fear City and quirky organ-based
Either/Or, Almost Over and Half Right. He vastly improves again of
the sprightly and almost up-beat See How Things Are Hard and the
achingly beautiful See You Later
Smith is definitely an acquired taste, though his music does grow on you,
eventually. A few spins and you’ll get there, I promise.
The full list of tracks included are :
Review & concert pics copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004-2010.
