By the time of Heatmiser's third and final LP, 1996's
Mic City Sons, co-frontman
Elliott Smith had released a couple solo albums, their confessional, solo acoustic music a striking contrast with Heatmiser's post-punk thrash.
Mic City Sons moved the band in a gentler direction, with the midtempo ballad "Plainclothes Man" sounding pretty much like a Smith solo track (and leaving little surprise when he left the band after this record). Like most of Smith's work, the lyrics are somber, abstract enough to be open to interpretation but weaving in suggestions of abandonment and abuse. But also like much of its work, the song's beauty still makes it an enjoyable listen, as much a core part of Smith's discography as the masterworks which followed.
Smith solo acoustic:
Smith's solo demo version from the
Heaven Adores You soundtrack:
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