Personnel includes: Elliott Smith (vocals); Pete Krebs (snare drum); Kid Tulsa (snare, cymbal).
Audio Remasterers: Roger Seibel; Larry Crane .
Recording information: The Basement (1993).
Photographer: Neil Gust.
In a world full of self-pitying shoegazer troubadours celebrated for their own misery, Elliot Smith stands apart from the pack. At the time of this release, who could have guessed that this unassuming songpoet, with his hushed songs of alienation and turmoil, would receive national attention in a few scant years? The seeds of greatness that Elliot Smith would soon achieve are prominent on ROMAN CANDLE, his first full-length release. From the opening title track, it is apparent that Smith is not your average sadcore moper. He may shy away from the gaze of the crowd, but there is a fiery defiance inherent in his songs that transcends self-pity. The all-acoustic, Nick Drake-like format here would in due time be replaced by full-on, Brian Wilson-influenced production, making it all the more endearing in retrospect.
Professional Reviews
Uncut (p.114) - 4 stars out of 5 - "In precise, poetically natural language, to the squeaks of finger-picked guitar, he presents love as a series of crime scenes, emotional murders to investigate."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.116) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[The album] arrived as an acoustic whisper in an age when grunge raged loudest."
Paste (magazine) - "Showcasing Smith's formative sound and quietly devastating songwriting, ROMAN CANDLE may be his most underrated work..."
Pitchfork (Website) - "[I]t contains some classic Smith songs....The sound is here...unmistakable from the first note: the defeated whispers of the vocals [and] the deceptively intricate guitar work..."
