Having spent years in the Berlin music scene, Mexico-born, now Barcelona-based singer and songwriter Graciela María has released a collaborative record with long time friend and producer Sneaky titled Dear Elliott. The album follows her EP We Will Find Ourselves Again, which dropped earlier this year.
Dear Elliott is a tribute album to the late musician Elliott Smith who passed away in 2003. Covering twelve songs of Smith’s and injecting them with new life, María and Sneaky foster folk, post-classical, and ambient soundscapes. The result is a hauntingly gorgeous release. Emotive strings decorate some tracks whilst others lean toward that which are more acoustic. Highlights include the ghostly remake of ‘Everything Means Nothing To me’, and a brilliant redo of ‘Weirdo’. Elliott Smith would surely be more than proud of this stunning album.
In a press statement, Graciela María wrote:
“Sneaky and I met 14 years ago and since then we have been making and sharing music, and beyond everything, being friends. It makes me very happy to experience the evolution of our friendship and the evolution of the music we create together. Today we share with you a project that was born from the love we have for the music of singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. Dear Elliott is a tribute to Elliott’s music, but above all to his truth and vulnerability. I invite you to have the experience of listening to the entire album, close your eyes and feel.”