Elliott Smith "New Moon" (#24 US, #39 UK)

[busyboy]

Elliott Smith Rarities Compiled On 'New Moon'

Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.

As first reported by Billboard last November, a collection of unreleased music from late singer/songwriter Elliott Smith will be released this spring. "New Moon" rounds up 24 tracks recorded between 1994-1997. The project is due May 8 via Kill Rock Stars and will also be available as a double vinyl set.

Some of the material is understood to have been produced by longtime Smith collaborator Rob Schnapf, but final mixing was undertaken by engineer Larry Crane, who is now the archivist for the Smith estate.

The album includes an early version of Smith's Academy Award-nominated "Miss Misery" as well as an alternate take of "Pretty Mary K," which was first released on the 2000 album "Figure 8." A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Portland, Ore.=based social service organization Outside In.

Smith died Oct. 21, 2003, in Los Angeles. His death was initially thought to be a suicide but according to a spokesperson, the LAPD investigation into the incident remains open.

Here is the track list for "New Moon":

Disc 1:
"Angel in the Snow"
"Talking to Mary"
"High Times"
"New Monkey"
"Looking Over My Shoulder"
"Going Nowhere"
"Riot Coming"
"All Cleaned Out"
"First Timer"
"Go By"
"Miss Misery" (early version)
"Thirteen"

Disc 2:
"Georgia Georgia"
"Whatever (Folk Song In C)"
"Big Decision"
"Placeholder"
"New Disaster"
"Seen How Things Are Hard"
"Fear City"
"Either/Or"
"Pretty Mary K" (other version)
"Almost Over"
"See You Later"
"Half Right"

______________________________________________________

You will be missed.

[busyboy]

Out today in the US.

Metacritic entry.

[joker]

It's now up a few points to


And adding this review would help out the score even more:

Gigwise

Elliot Smith - 'New Moon'



It would be easy to write another long-winded eulogy of a fallen (cult) hero that serves as a pre cursor to any comment on the Elliott Smith legacy (sic) Put simply: Elliott Smith is the ultimate in melancholic lament. Immortalised in the morbid collection of singer songwriter suicides, Smith had an unparalleled ability to capture resignation and portray it with an honest elegance and an underlying personal sadness.

A collection of rough studio cuts and rarities circa 1995, it would also be easy to view ‘New Moon’ as another corporate money-spinner from beyond the grave. However, if you eschew the Tupac logic, this is probably Smith’s last showcase - a final expose of all his delicate idiosyncrasies. It’s a mastered release current fans will cherish and one that those yet to inhabit Smith’s fragile world can tentatively do so.

From the familiarly downbeat sentiment of ‘Angel In The Snow’ with its pensive acoustic strum and gentle repeated husk of “Don’t You Know That I love You?” to the tender, pure as snow atmospheric of ‘Talking About Mary’, you’re captivated from the outset. Unsurprisingly, nothing much has changed: melodic guitar tones candy coat Smith’s defeated lyrics while the lo-fi strumming and vocals so frail they could have been scattered by a light breeze remain as much of a staple as ever.

Tracks like 'High Times' see an embittered edge to Smith’s vocal that, while not belying his personal sadness, veers more towards a silent frustration whereas, contrastingly, 'Thirteen' captures a lost, lamenting teen innocence better than any softly spoken sentiment Jack White ever tried to achieve. However, it’s the contemplative ‘Going Nowhere’ that serves as a reminder of what will be no more as a breathless Smith, amidst flickering guitar and keyboards, slows the song to a heart-breaking end.

Few legacies’ remain pure, but if you must invest in a stranger’s misery, make it Elliott’s.

[busyboy]

Elliott Smith
New Moon
[Kill Rock Stars; 2007]
Rating: 8.7

Elliott Smith's legacy is best spoken by his records. For all the emphasis placed on his unhappy backstory and the distressing nature of his death, Smith left behind a body of work that defies and exceeds any stereotyping. Sadness may be the easiest emotional current to pick up on in his songs, but Smith's expressive range was as wide as it was subtle; his music could be angry, funny, hopeful, and despondent, often at the same time. New Moon collects two CDs' worth of material recorded around the same time as 1995's Elliott Smith and its 1997 follow-up Either/Or, and unlike typical posthumous releases (not to mention second ones), is a genuinely worthy addition to a stunningly consistent catalog.

Part of what makes both Either/Or and 1998's XO so essential is Smith's avoidance of "classic album" compartmentalization; you don 't get "the sad song," followed by "the experimental song," followed by "the upbeat song." Smith didn't record specifically towards any album, he just recorded-- more or less constantly. At their inception, the songs compiled for New Moon were no less significant than those that wound up making the cut for Elliott Smith and Either/Or, and for the most part they're no less developed.

Smith's signature style is more musical than it is aesthetic; from the lo-fi folk of Roman Candle through the muscular chamber-pop of Figure 8, Smith's songwriting tics remain completely recognizable. New Moon is overflowing with characteristic melodic turns and unexpected chord changes, yet still covers a good deal of ground stylistically. The chugging acoustic guitar of "Big Decision" conjures Johnny Cash, while "New Monkey" subtly nods to a similarly titled Beatles song. Each song seems fully realized in its own right; for a 2xCD posthumous compilation, it's unbelievably refreshing to not pick up even the slightest whiff of exploitative barrel-scraping.

Like much of Smith's material from this era, New Moon is by and large quiet, acoustic, and emotionally complicated. It's easy to see why Smith's music earned him a reputation as a "sad sack," but such dismissals don't really hold up to any scrutiny. When asked whether he considered himself a "lo-fi" artist, Smith once responded that he simply didn't want the recording process to be "a drag." Smith's interest in the the expressive potential of recording comes through loud and clear on New Moon; even when the subject or tone of a song is depressing, it still carries an unmistakable note of joy.

Which is certainly not to say that New Moon finds him sounding "happy." Many of the songs here are almost unbearably melancholy, but their weight is the product of expert craft, not wanton self-indulgence. The coda of "Talking to Mary", in which Smith repeatedly intones "One day she'll go/ I told you so," would not be nearly as powerful without the subtle tension and movement in Smith's guitar part. "All Cleaned Out", which hints at the musical and lyrical concerns that Smith took up with XO, is made all the more affecting by a second vocal line that injects well-placed harmonies into an already memorable melody. Every musical decision on New Moon feels both intuitive and considered; never obtrusive or distracting, but thoroughly rewarding when examined in depth.

Nowhere is this clearer than on an early version of the career-making "Miss Misery". This is the fourth, and earliest, version of this song that I've heard, and it speaks to the incredible care and refinement that went into Smith's recordings. The melodic backbone of the song is definitely present on this version, as are formative fragments of the lyrics, harmonies, and arrangements. It's fascinating to hear this track in such an early stage, but downright humbling to connect the dots to the song it eventually became. Smith had an uncanny and arguably unmatched talent for developing his music to suit his ever-evolving arrangement and production techniques, and every intermediate version of "Miss Misery" makes perfect sense the way it's performed and recorded.

Phrases like "rare talent" are thrown around all the time these days, but this compilation makes painfully clear just how unique and valuable this music is. Smith's visionary qualities were not terribly flashy or transgressive, and his great musical gifts were not those of innovation. Instead, he steadily and quietly wrote, honed, and recorded a body of beautifully executed, deeply moving records not quite like any others. Consider him the patron saint of hobbyists, a talented and dedicated craftsman with a tireless love of the creative process.

-Matt LeMay, May 09, 2007

[busyboy]

"New Moon" debuts at #39 in the UK.

[areyoureadytojump]

6/9 chart:

72 Smith, Elliott/New Moon 9,270 47,033

[areyoureadytojump]

6/16 chart

100 72 04 Elliott Smith, New Moon 7,354 9,270 -21% 54,387

[areyoureadytojump]

6/23 chart

126 SMITH*ELLIOTT NEW MOON 6,034 60,421