Flipping through a variety of newspapers and reading a wide selection of music rags, I keep coming across reviews of Elliott Smith's posthumous collection, New Moon—each one invariable tagged and dragged by some sort of personal reminiscence. Windswept, rainy memories of car rides with loved ones who later dumped the homely writer for someone with less of a fixation on sad songs. Mid-90s mixtapes where "Biggest Lie" was the last track. Myself, in my jaded worldview, have been reading these things and sort of scoffing to myself thinking, "What a bunch of babies we all are." I've never fallen in love to/or been emotionally annihilated by another human being to the sounds of Elliott Smith. I don't even think I've put him on a mixtape or CD before. Not out of lack of love—I do love the dude. Either/Or is a really amazing record. So, then there's New Moon. Where Smith is in peak form, sliding under your skin with his calming, so expressively emotional little voice. The fragility of the music, the exposed nature of his songs, and the unrelentingly violent images of how it all ended up. Well Jesus Christ, if that's not the saddest thing in the world, then I've got a picture of Nick Drake sitting in the executioner's chair that I can sell you.
New Moon is out now on Kill Rock Stars
Download "High Times" HERE
