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Electric Elliott Smith Passes The Sound Test

Pop-folk singer/songwriter sells fans on his altered, beefed-up style at live show.

SAN FRANCISCO -- When Elliott Smith took the stage at the 7th Note in front of a sold-out crowd Saturday, he was not just gearing up for a performance. He also was facing a test.

You see, he's changed. The sound on Smith's latest album, XO, is different from what fans have come to expect from the acoustically inclined pop-songwriter: It's full-blown, richly textured rock instead of Smith's more typical strains of raw, quiet folk.

As Smith walked onto the 7th Note's sparse stage -- which was adorned only with a few mic stands, some amps and a drum set -- there were signs that this show, too, was going to be different.

For one thing, he wasn't alone. On hand to provide backing were opening act Quasi. For another, there was the guitar the one-time punk-turned-folkie was toting when he made his entrance. It was an electric: a hollow-bodied, mahogany, Gibson electric, to be exact.

There was a feeling of apprehension in the sweltering room.

But the instant Smith launched into the new album's first track, "Sweet Adeline," all skepticism dissolved. Rather than detract from the potency of his captivating voice and poignant lyrics, the new, beefed-up sound provided by Quasi, a duo consisting of Smith's former Heatmiser bandmate Sam Coomes on bass and Sleater-Kinney's Janet Weiss on drums, gave Smith a new energy.

If there were any uncertainty left about how Smith's new sound would fare in a live setting, it didn't deter the several hundred fans from crowding the stage and clambering up on barstools to catch a better view of the singer/songwriter with the soft, ethereal voice.

"I've listened to XO 10 or 12 times," fan Steve McCarthy, 27, said before the show. "It's growing on me. I just want to hear him, that's all."

Dressed in a faded, blue T-shirt and looking characteristically shaggy, Smith proceeded to sell old fans on his altered style and win over some new ones, eliciting smiles and cheers from the otherwise stoic (if stylish) crowd. Strangely enough, some came dressed in a style that reflected Smith's lack of fashion sense.

"I expected it to be more acoustic, but I like it," said John Benassini, 24, who said he had not listened to XO in its entirety.

Playing a number of songs from the critically acclaimed XO and a few off 1997's Either/Or, Smith delivered a consistently inspiring performance. Songs such as "Bottle Up and Explode!" and "Speed Trials," fleshed out by the contributions of Coomes and Weiss, were played with fresh vitality and emotion.

His voice quivered as he sang certain lines. His eyes closed as he reached for the meaning in his lyrics. He performed with such earnestness, you could almost hear the strings he'd recorded on the album filling in the empty spaces in sound.

Still, the highlight of the evening came when Smith appeared solo, acoustic guitar in hand, for the two encores that the crowd all but demanded.

"OK, you're embarrassing me," Smith laughed as he tucked his hair behind his ear, a broad smile momentarily lighting up his face.

Bathed in soft light on the otherwise dark stage, Smith entranced the audience with a pared-down version of XO's "Baby Britain" (RealAudio excerpt). The single guitar, combined with Smith's soul-penetrating voice, reinforced the song's intensity and sadness and allowed the lyrics to become the focal point.

Closing with a cover of George Harrison's "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace)" -- a reminder of frequent comparisons between Smith's songwriting and that of the Beatles -- Smith seemed relaxed and happy.

Before leaving the stage for the final time, he reached out and greeted the fans crowded at his feet.

Judging from the general air of exhilaration that lingered even as people exited the club, Smith passed the test with flying colors.

Even if he didn't know it.

"I thought he was excellent," raved Morven McIntosh, 28, on holiday from Scotland. "It was the first time I've heard him and he was just fabulous."

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