Elliott Smith was an extremely talented guitarist. "Southern Belle" is a minimal guitar showcase, where Smith plays a part that is delicate and nimble, then reaches some truly muscular parts that are still just one little instrument surrounded the space of a very large-feeling room.

This is an early song, off Smith's second album, which is my favorite of his. There are so many musical ideas rippling through the song and yet such minimal sound. One guitar and one voice do almost everything on their own. But do not call this folk music, as all guitar/voice music seems to get labeled. The ideas are hyper-modern, searching through experimental palettes.

There can never be another person who imagines anything close to the same.