10 songs that feel like Speed Trials
Matched to Speed Trials by Elliott Smith on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.
A 94% feel-match — carries the same melancholy pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (36/100).
95% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (37/100). Same layered texture.
Keeps the same melancholy pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (37/100). Measured 95% alike.
Measures 93% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (36/100). Same layered texture.
A 93% feel-match — carries the same melancholy pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (36/100).
95% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (33/100). Same layered texture.
Keeps the same melancholy pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (36/100). Measured 95% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (130 BPM).
Measures 92% the same. It runs a little hotter at 41/100. Same layered texture.
A 92% feel-match — carries the same melancholy pull and runs a little hotter at 41/100.
92% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it runs a little hotter at 41/100. Same layered texture.
…and if you want it calmer
Same feeling, measured gentler — for when Speed Trials is more than you want right now.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 24/100, down from 34. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 24/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.
If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 16/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 19/100, versus the original's 34.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 24/100, down from 34.
It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 22/100 — the pull without the edge.
If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 23/100.
Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 19/100, versus the original's 34.
Frequently asked
What songs sound like “Speed Trials” by Elliott Smith?
The closest feel-matches we measure are “Speak For Me” by Cat Power, “Cross Bones Style” by Cat Power, “Feel a Whole Lot Better” by The Byrds — the top match scores 94% alike. Matching is by how the songs actually move (intensity, dynamic range, texture, tempo, predictability, vocal force), not by genre tag or popularity.
What songs are like “Speed Trials” but calmer?
“Pictures of Me” by Elliott Smith, “It's Too Late” by Carole King, “Paris, Texas” by Lana Del Rey keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.
How intense is “Speed Trials”?
It measures 34/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 4/10, layered texture, mild sudden shifts, and soft vocals. Tempo is 130 BPM.
How do you decide which songs are similar?
Every song in our catalog is measured on 8 dimensions — intensity, dynamic range, tempo, sudden changes, texture, predictability, vocal force and fine sound detail. Similarity is the distance between two songs across those measurements, so matches cross genres and eras. Shared mood tags break ties.
By the numbers: how this song compares
Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.
Where it sits in 19,000 songs
On our 19k-song scale this lands in the middle band — more energetic than 22% of songs, calmer than the other 78%. Its intensity reading of 34/100 comes from a dynamic range of 4/10, layered texture, mild shifts, and soft vocals. Relatively few songs occupy this exact corner of the spectrum.
What makes it unusual
What stands out most about this song is an unusually steady, even volume: more extreme on that axis than 97% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on full chaos — sudden changes, huge quiet-to-loud swings, and relentless energy — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.
Feels almost identical to
Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.
What it’s good for
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
1997 in context
The 389 songs we’ve measured from 1997 average a dynamic range of 6.6/10. At 4/10, this track is gentler and steadier than its year.
Mixes smoothly with
Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.
The fingerprint
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?
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