Eli Smart – No Summer Release

In 1999, Elijah Kai Solomon Smart was born into the City of Angels, Sprawl and Smog. In order for Eli to grow-up surrounded by nature, unburdened by major city modernity; Mom & Dad hauled ass to Hawaii when he was 5. With the van packed sitting on the drive, they took one last look at their soon-to-be old house, when a willowy man walked by playing the flute: it was Beck.

The Smarts settled-in on a farm on the island of Kaua’i. What happened there was magical: nature claimed its course. Under unfathomably starry skies, the farm grew avocados. The parents grew musicians. They bought a shop from a woman who made yarn and opened Hanalei Strings; a store that sold stringed instruments and vinyl records. They built a stage in the shop (it’s still there today) and those that performed on it had been taught guitar, ukulele or lap steel by Eli’s dad. Eli’s Mom performed with the local Hula dancers. Gigs for fundraisers, gigs for birthdays, gigs with mates. The community supported the music and the music supported the community.

Eli’s nan (who had built the farm they now lived on) didn’t need guitar lessons, from anyone. She was a member of The Ace of Cups, a trailblazing all-girl 1960s rock group who Hendrix publicly adored. Evenings on the farm ended with an after dinner jam. Three generations of musicians in harmony beneath a gobsmacking celestial canopy. Sounds idillic.

All of which begs the question: Why did he leave?

The search for answers to that question are central to Eli’s debut album: No Summer. If you’re expecting ‘Pop Surf Hits Vol. 1’ you’ve come to the wrong place: the album has a much more universal appeal. It’s as much of a travelogue as it is a long-player; on ‘Another Sundown’ and ‘How Come?’ and album close ‘Overdrive’ the emotional longing is palpable, unhurried and given the space to deep-breathe itself back to the present. The whole album is intricately layered: there are muted drum machines, subtle harmonies and guitar parts that appear like early morning birdsong. It sounds like nature, interrupted.

No Summer is, without question, a psychedelic soul album; one that shares a sun-kissed poignancy with Shuggie Otis’ landmark Inspirational Information. Eli Smart is an exceptionally gifted and expressive guitarist too. It’s hard to decide if the instrument was his closest travel companion or itself a cognitive mode of transport. Such is his command of it, changes in mood and dynamics can happen in a heartbeat. When this happens on the album, the songs most faithfully represent the riotous stage shows which have captivated audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. Eli’s live band is staffed exclusively by good mates in good spirits: a recipe they followed for the album’s creation. The majority of the album was recorded with James Kerr in the Lewisham flat they shared together this year. Yet the songwriting spans a decade and the rude health of youth is writ large over ‘Highschool Steady,’ ‘Jackie’ and ‘No Destination’ – all songs in the Key of Heyday. The low-slung funk of ‘Moka’ wouldn’t sound out of place if it was offered to us by that willowy passer-by.

Over the course of the album’s 14 tracks, No Summer captures a sepia-toned image of formative experiences: it’s a postcard from a well spent youth. It’s less ‘innocence lost’ and more ‘gained perspective.’ The questions it asks are kind. The melodies stick around long enough to become good mates. It’s gloriously low-fi, DIY and made with friendship at its beating heart. You can take the boy out of Hawaii, but you can’t take the Hawaii out of the man.