Secondary function chords and the quiet intensity of Elliott Smith’s “Speed Trials”

I may be alone in this assessment, but Speed Trials, the opening track to Elliott Smith’s 1997 album Either/Or features some of the most intense vocals of his studio albums; all while it sounds like he’s never exceeding above a whisper.  

This is a prime example of intensity =/= loudness. 

And though it’s not uncharacteristic of his voice throughout the rest of Either/Or, there’s a certain quality and raw vulnerability, almost on the brink of vocal fry at times, that constantly keeps me coming back as a listener. 

Another factor that is intertwined with the quiet intensity of Elliott’s voice is his use of secondary function chords; or briefly borrowing chords outside of the established key of the song. The intro to Speed Trials starts off in an E minor tonality, working its way into the key of C (Em can be seen as diatonic mediant of C.) It’s not until the end of the verse we first hear the first iteration of a secondary function chord, in this case it’s the Ab major chord. I sort of hear this as a tritone substitution (bVI) replacing the diatonic predominant (ii). Not only does this provide a smooth transition into the following G major chord (V) and an interesting change of tonal color to the established verse progression, the use of this tritone sub also intensifies the lyrical content: “To destroy their master” hits a lot harder than if it were sung over a regular ii–V or IV–V progression. 

Something similar happens in the chorus as well; on the lyric “brief smile” he plays a D major chord (V/V in the key of C.) But what makes that particular instance of mode mixture interesting, is that instead of resolving that D major (V/V) to G major (V), he plays an Fmaj7 (IV7) then goes to G major (V), a creative spin on the classic I-IV-V progression. 

(a more in depth breakdown of how to find these chords within different major scales can be found here)

The subtle uses of secondary function chords and just how they accentuate the lyrical content and provide a new realm of tonal color can be heard throughout the rest of the album (Ballad of Big Nothing, Angeles, Say Yes), and his entire discography, really. I just felt that as the opener to the album, Speed Trials was worth noting and sometimes falls into the cracks of celebrated Elliott Smith favorites.        

– Sean