Earlier tonight an excited crowd that spilled over onto the Sunset Boulevard sidewalk caught Elliott Smith in a rare local appearance at the Echo, playing a benefit for, as he put it, “someone’s medical bills.” (Money was being raised for Jennifer Tefft, who books at Spaceland.) Happily in his cups and acoustic guitar in hand, Smith put on an assured set that hopefully marks his return to form from disappointing-to-disastrous shows over the past year or so that have tarnished his reputation even among devoted fans.

The devotees filled the club nonetheless and cheered enthusiastically even after he opened with a shaky run through the Oscars™ song, “Miss Misery.” Their reward was a set that showed off songs slated for the long-delayed LP6 such as “A Passing Feeling” and “Don’t Go Down,” and resuscitations of neglected winners from his back catalog. Three songs in came “I Figured You Out,” a Smith composition that has only seen the light of day via Mary Lou Lord’s cover; he wrote it then quickly wrote it off as sounding too much like the Eagles. It is strummier than his typical fare, but its detailed accusations of a former flame play quite well leavened by its sunny (but not lite) melody. Otherwise, seldom-played tunes such as the delicate “Good To Go” from his second record, down-and-out slice-of-life “Punch and Judy” off Either/Or, the thrumming-to-atmospheric “Something To Lose” from his rocking Heatmiser days and the winsome “No Confidence Man,” a song exclusive to a little-heard 7″, were assayed beautifully.

Although his playing was generally nimble, there were also occasional rhythmic flubs, memory lapses and signs of a voice strained either by the cold currently going around or the cigarette habit he joked about late in the set. These glitches led a certain desperation to his playing at times, as if he were hanging, but just barely, on every note, beat and accent. Some of the louder material was enlivened by this rawness, notably the intense take on Heatmiser’s minor epic, “Plainclothes Man,” that served as the climax of the set.

Rough edges and all, the highlights confirmed Smith as a true treasure of the pop music landscape: when he’s on his game he weaves high, velvety vocals and intricate finger-picked guitars into minor melodic miracles that proceed from a unique songwriting voice. Little things — stories, meditations, phrases and images that resurface repeatedly, coded messages to friends and notes to himself — build into a world, bejeweled with allusions to the classics while wholly expressing the individual.

And sure, yeah, right. We don’t need another whiny whiteboy pouring out his problems while sawing wood. Too much already. We get the point.

But with Smith, the mope always comes laced with defiant resignation or blooms into the hard-won redemption of a survivor. Even after a break-up, the plea — no, the affirmation — remains, “say yes;” and out of wrecked bodies and wrecked lives comes the promise: “All I want now/is happiness for you and me.” When the encore laid side by side “Say Yes,” arguably his best song and at least a longtime fan favorite, and “Happiness,” as close as he’ll come to an anthem dignity intact, the late night Echo-goers were reminded why the letdowns and long radio silence are worth it.

Links:
http://www.sweetadeline.net