Elliott Smith's eponymous album and second release is my favorite of his offerings. I was first introduced to Elliott's music by the film maker Wes Anderson. His masterpiece The Royal Tenenbaums is packed full of beautiful indie music including a haunting rendition of Jackson Browne's These Days by Nico. The highlight however is Needle in the Hay, the first track on this record. The sparse arrangement allowed Anderson to include dialogue inside the song as he showed a harrowing scene. It took me a couple of days searching the internet to find out who was behind the dark yet beautiful song. When I discovered Elliott, his trouble with depression and psychosis I immediately felt a kinship with him. Unfortunately he died before his time. Thankfully he had left a wealth of beauty, a body of work that strangely is still underappreciated. In a way I envy those who are unfamiliar with Elliott Smith, the joy of listening to him for the first time and discovering his legacy all over again would be wonderful.
Recorded mainly at friends' houses it is beautiful in its simplicity. Double tracking his vocals, a technique he used throughout his career, gives an almost ethereal quality and draws you in immediately. The subject matter is unquestionably dark but I always look at the cover to this album when I think of his music, it is not black, it is dark blue. A supreme musician, Elliott could play guitar, bass, piano, drums, anything that made a sound. He frequently played every instrument on his records. I always think that this is admirable, to learn and master even one instrument despite his trouble with his mental health. My favorite song on the album is Southern Belle, great and original chord progressions. Essentially Elliott was a great songwriter, one of the best. However he never escaped the moniker of indie artist. During his life he was constantly just beneath the surface of success. As a music fan it is my hope that I can introduce a true genius to this group.