Off the Record

The story of Elliott Smith is a sad one, beginning with a difficult adolescence and a strained family life, and ending with an adulthood fraught with depression, alcoholism and drug abuse, culminating in suicide. But from within this bleak life - from the dark and troubled mind of Elliott Smith - comes some of the best music I've ever heard. Smith is an artist, singing his sorrows with acoustic guitar in hand.

The solo career that Elliott Smith is best known for started as little more than a side-project. Smith had formed the band Heatmiser, signing with the major label Virgin records after two releases while in college. At the urging of his then-girlfriend, Smith sent a demo of eight largely acoustic songs, which he had recorded on a borrowed four-track, to the independent label Cavity Search Records. The tape was immediately released as Smith's first solo album, Roman Candle. The album, which, due to its production, served as a contributing factor to Smith's characteristic lo-fi sound, was well-received. Heatmiser was a casualty of Smith's solo success; the band separated due to internal tension shortly after.

Smith received mainstream attention when his song "Miss Misery" was featured during the closing credits of the film Good Will Hunting. Smith received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song, and performed "Miss Misery" at the ceremony. Smith produced three more albums - and was working on his sixth - before his death, as a result of self-inflicted stab wounds. The songwriter suffered from bouts of depression and drug abuse throughout his life, though no illegal drug was found in his system.

However, Smith's turbulent personal life did serve as a springboard for lyrical subject matter - many of Smith's songs concern life issues and troubles and are often backed by little more than acoustic guitar. As his career progressed, however, the singer-songwriter did experiment with varied instruments and noise music elements, both of which are prevalent in the posthumous release From a Basement on the Hill. Much of Smith's personal catalogue is characterized by sad or bleak moods.

The world of Elliott Smith is bleak indeed; his whites are gray, and his grays are black. His music is striking for its honesty and intimacy; Smith paints on a dreary canvas, but the product shines with a brilliance and dark beauty that overshadows the gleam of the rose-colored spectrum.