Elliott Smith Roman Candle (Vinyl)

You want sad, beautiful music, you throw on Elliott Smith. In death, his already aching compositions have taken on an added layer of legitimacy. Which makes his 1994 solo debut, Roman Candle, all the more striking.

It originally wasn’t even intended for release (which probably explains why almost half of its tracks are called “No Name”), but as a demo collection that might garner Smith a 7″ while he was still playing with his alternative band Heatmiser. Instead, it accidentally wound up as one of the best albums of the ’90s.

At just nine tracks, Roman Candle is slight, but over the course of 30 minutes, it weaves a warm template. Were it not for the strength of his canon overall, I’d call this record the best starting point for new fans. But everything that endeared Smith to his fansmelancholy vocals, melancholy lyrics, melancholy guitaris on display here. While his later works would throw in window dressing, these four-track recordings cut to the core.

Vinyl, LP, Reissue

Tracklist:
A1 Roman Candle
A2 Condor Ave
A3 No Name #1
A4 No Name #2
A5 No Name #3
B1 Drive All Over Town
B2 No Name #4
B3 Last Call
B4 Kiwi Maddog 20/20