Elliott Smith/ Roman Candle

Elliott Smith
Roman Candle
(Kill Rock Stars / Domino)

So here we are, re-examining the scribblings of a dead man, brought back to life in HD, how dignified. There’s nothing new to be learnt, nothing to be gained, we are only reminded of the loss. Perhaps, for the high fidelity audiophiles whose disposable income far exceeds their imagination, they will be able to slip on Roman Candle during a dinner party, without the (and I’m paraphrasing the new producer here) jarring and loud guitar squeaks of the original. For anyone who covets the lo-fi aesthetic of these early recordings, prepare to get angry.
Roman Candle was originally recorded on a four-track after Smith’s partner at the time insisted that he should make a 7” comprising of his most recent material. Most of the tracks were quickly dropped by Smith - left for dust as he continued to pursue crafted pop. The subtle grainy texture and occasional awkward noises on the original recordings tell this story. This lightly polished compact-disc, however, washes out the pungent sounds, the course moments and the aesthetic narrative.
This release will inevitably gain Smith a new generation of fans which can only be a good thing but with him gone, the whole debacle seems a little uncalled for. For those who find this analysis overly dry, to commit to a musical eulogy would be churlish considering how unnecessary this grave-stalking re-issue is.
On the back-cover of Domino’s 1998 re-release of the same album, protection and copyright is attributed to both ‘The Estate Of Elliott Smith’ and ‘Domino Recording Co Ltd.’ On this latest release there is no apparent mention of the former. How very apt.