Elliot James’ “Smooth” Is a Brazen Yet Sardonic and Melancholic Ode to a Shady Ex-Lover

ElliotJames2_crop — Elliot James, photo courtesy the artist

Elliot James’ new album Always Lately dropped on June 12 and the single “Smooth” showcases how the songwriter brings to bear an eclectic aesthetic to what might otherwise be simply energetic indie rock. The descending piano figure seems so elegant in the background of the bright main melody that along with the ethereal synth swells are a reminder that even though the song is a bit sardonic and the bass line urgent to match the swagger of the vocals that this is at heart a reflective and melancholic song. Both add a delicacy to the track that gives it a dimensonality that it might have succeeded as a song without but that expanded emotional depth is one of the key elements that sets James’ songwriting apart from someone attempting just to write a banger pop song for the summer. Listen below and follow James at the links provided.