Hurts So Good: A Short Essay On Elliott Smith

What Elliott Smith meant to the world is something I'm barely familiar of. I can only comment post-mortem on his work, but that doesn't mean it is any less appreciated. I think the simply amazing thing about Elliott Smith is how he somehow creates a space within his music that, while usually only consisting of a rousing interplay of acoustic guitars and haunting melodies, can somehow coalesce into a floating, streaming, ever-changing atmosphere. The ethereal sounds float and bathe the senses in an understated charm; the melodies are simple, as well as simply a little different than what you've heard before. This is a trait of most artists that attain greatness, the ability to use familiar pieces to construct a wholly original body of work, a task that isn't easy. Yet, in the context of Smith's music, sounds somewhat effortless.

The incredible thing about Elliott Smith is how he can imbue his songs with  such a palpable sense of loss and longing. He actually uses sarcasm and sardonic humour to make his point, which is compelling, considering the dark themes that usually come to the fore. Smith doesn't pummel the listener with sadness and hopelessness-- it's actually kind of hard to tell his songs are usually sad ones, until you listen a few more times and suss out the lyrics. That means you can approach his music on your own terms, there's no need to necessarily be in a downbeat mood to enjoy his gently stirring songs. And that's what makes the heartbreak so tangible. As you start to familiarize yourself with his music, it starts to really dig in. What started off as a simply pretty melody, slowly begins to twist itself into a dark rumination on the shadowy corners of human existence. This is a quality that most of his songs possess.

Elliott smith didn't just stick to a lone acoustic guitar though. He also had a great sense of mood and atmosphere, and did his best to also incorporate interesting instrumental arrangements, especially in his later albums. In staying true to his modus operandi, Smith never lets the production overtake the songs. He doesn't go for flash or pomp-- Smith had the good sense to use the inflated production to add texture & mood, something he probably learned from listening to Beatles records. You get the distinct sense of his classic influences, not a desire to blow up his sound into something huge. All of his complimentary musical additions are mostly acoustic in nature; Smith isn't big on digital drum machines or synthesized noises. His songs are compelling on their own, and Smith uses additional instruments and production tricks to enhance their impact, not to try and make his music more accessible. This means, that even at his most overblown (which, for Elliott Smith, is still quite modest), the songs speak for themselves. The music is still wholly his. You almost get the sense that Smith was somewhat self-conscious, and knew the dangers of alienating an audience that had grown accustomed to a certain simplicity. In any case, he had an intrinsic sense of how to best serve his songs, and that always comes through on record.

Sadly, Elliott Smith was notoriously depressed, and took his own life under less than straightforward circumstances in 2003. I'm not going to go over all the odd details and burning questions that remain. That's not what this post is about. I wanted to draw attention to a great indie talent that was taken from the world too soon, although not before leaving quite an extensive catalogue to explore and enjoy. It's hard to tell where he would have taken his music had he not decided on a much darker fate. As for what he left behind, the music speaks for itself.