Elliott Smith: Roman Candle [KILL ROCK STARS]

Why you'll love it

This Kill Rock Stars edition uses Larry Crane's remaster, which smooths the rough edges while keeping Elliott's own mixes intact. Roman Candle is where his hushed, double-tracked voice and intricate guitar first came together.

This edition

• Remastered by Larry Crane
• Original mixes by Elliott Smith
• Numbered

About the album

Elliott Smith wasn't trying to make an album. He was still in the Portland band Heatmiser, recording songs alone on a four-track in the basement of his girlfriend and manager JJ Gonson, and he hoped for a 7-inch single at best. Gonson played the tape to the Cavity Search label, they asked to put out the whole thing, and after a little hesitation Smith agreed. The CD and cassette came out in July 1994, and it took until 1998 for the album to reach vinyl at all.

He plays everything himself, with a cheap microphone and a lot of patience. The title track opens with a quiet intensity, "Condor Ave" is a beautiful slow-motion short story, and the untitled "No Name" songs show off his gift for melody and finger-picked guitar. "Last Call" builds to something close to a roar, and "Kiwi Maddog 20/20" closes things with an instrumental. Neil Gust of Heatmiser is on the cover, photographed by Gonson.

The Rocket heard an anguish "noble, credible and alluring in its understatement." BBC Music later called it "a searingly honest and decisive collection." He'd hoped for a 7-inch at most; we'd call a full LP a fairly generous upgrade.

Also at Kops: more Elliott Smith on vinyl · browse Singer-Songwriter

Tracklist

Listen

On Kill Rock Stars (cat# KRS-523), a reissue of the 1994 album.