Elliott Smith - Elliott Smith

Elliott Smith’s self-titled second album marked both his debut on the Kill Rock Stars label and his first major artistic statement. Sonically, it shares similarities with Roman Candle—mostly just Smith and his gently fingerpicked acoustic guitar, though this time more frequently embellished with drums, harmony vocals, and the occasional additional instrument. The key difference is that Smith’s melodies and lyrics reveal greater depth and substance with repeated listens.

And make no mistake: these songs do require repeated listens—not only because of Smith’s often whispery, spiderweb-thin delivery, but also due to his deceptively angular melodies and chord progressions, which can seem to drift away until the listener becomes familiar enough to follow their subtle trajectories.

Smith is frequently compared to Paul Simon or The Beatles in their softer moments, but perhaps the most fitting reference point for this early sound is Nick Drake’s stripped-down Pink Moon. While Smith’s lyrics are rawer and more abrasive than Drake’s haunting poetics, both artists explore themes of depression and loneliness, crafting an almost uncomfortable intimacy through bare-bones arrangements. The quiet beauty of Smith’s music can sometimes mask its darker, more confrontational edge—many of his characters deal with broken relationships and emotional disconnection through substance abuse, and several lyrics could easily be mistaken for punk rants when isolated from their delicate musical settings.

Though Smith would go on to expand his sound in later albums, Elliott Smith contains the essential blueprint of what was to come—and more importantly, it stands as a fully realized and compelling work in its own right.

25th Anniversary Remastered audio pressed on deep purple vinyl. Exclusive to Independent Record Stores.