Far from the tomb-raiding compilations we've come to expect after great artists pass on (usually a few gems in a pile of trash), Kill Rock Stars' new double-vinyl Elliott Smith collection is a goldmine in plain sight. All 24 songs here were recorded between 1994 and 1997, and any Elliott Smith fan will tell you that's primetime right there. Fragments and low-fi versions of some of these tracks have been circulating online for years, but this is the first time anyone's assembled the whole picture (and filled in the gap with liners that include insightful first-person accounts). "Angel In The Snow(1)" is a beautiful track that could've easily been on the self-titled album, except that it appeared on a limited edition magazine giveaway and not many people ever got to hear it. Ditto for "See You Later(2)," which was on a cassette compilation limited to 300 copies. (Imagine owning that, then watching him on the Grammies.) The demo version of "Miss Misery(3)" is interesting, but the quiet and haunting "Going Nowhere(4)" totally steals the show here. "Big Decision(5)" is probably the best known track here, full of emotive vocals and amazing finger-picking. "Fear City(6)," "Either/Or(7)" and "Almost Over(8)" are worth hearing, too. In fact, this whole thing is worth hearing. It's great. We don't buy this shit to mine for breaks, nahmeen? Sometimes good music is good enough. 24 tracks; 73 minutes. Recommended.

reviewed by Chris Lemon-Red