Reviews (page 2 of 14)
Such a good, haunting album. This hits the sweet spot between Elliott’s low fi early stuff and more produced later stuff. Right in the middle. So good.
Not what I would choose for a Monday morning but it’s enjoyable
Entirely pleasant and inoffensive to listen to, despite the heavy lyrics. Without it, an entire generation of soft-voiced, bedroom songwriters might not exist, but it still, to me at least, somehow fails to feel innovative or challenging in the slightest.
A really great, melancholic piece of 90s indie folk. Elliott Smith's lyrics are incredibly blunt and can kind of border on edgy at times, but he does paint a pretty damn compelling picture out of them, aided well by his very wistful delivery. The instrumentation is also pretty damn solid, as his strumming contains a lot of percussive stops and starts as well as great melodic leads, and when the intensity is increased with him playing as a full band, like on "Cupid's Trick", has a rich fullness to it.
Everything about the way he writes and performs is subtly heartbreaking
Easy listening
Dit album paste wel bij het melancholische weer van afgelopen week muzikaal niet hoogstaand, maar wel goed voor een mood. 3.4 sterren
Ik vind het een heeeel erg sterk album. Sommige nummers zijn echt fantastisch. Ik heb het een paar leer geluisterd en ik zit er wel lekker in. Toch spreekt niet alles mij aan, of misschien toch wel. Bij het ene nummer twijfel ik niet en geef ik het 5 sterren bij het andere nummer wel. De stem spreekt mij heel erg aan de overdubben van de vocals, op een fluisterende toon werkt heel goed. Between the bars is natuurlijk het best. Say yes vind ik ook mooi. Onsamenhangend verhaal: 5 sterren
Een goed weekend album wat wel een beetje bij het weer paste. Heb de plaat in de kast staan en er vaak naar geluisterd. Betrapte mij er wel op dat niet alle nummers even sterk zijn zoals Balland of big nothing en pictures of me. Het is dus net geen no skip album. Toch staan er zoveel mooie nummers op die dat weer goedmaken. Met mijn eigen nostalgische bril van toen ik dit album veel luisterde is het toch 5 sterren.
Mooie, soms wat zwaarmoedige teksten, die op een lichte, breekbare stem worden voorgedragen. Ik ben erg fan van Elliott Smith en heb daarom het hele weekend naar dit album geluisterd, vooral ook omdat het een album is wat je moet leren kennen. Qua productie vind ik het ook erg smaakvol gedaan, duidelijk een DIY/Lo-Fi achtige homerecording met de daarbij behorende saturatie en warmte.
Classic Indie from my era. Love it
#259 Heard Before? Many many times, although I've always been more of an XO fan. Notes: - if i was more of a lyrics person, this album would be far better. - production is suited to the material - rough and raw. if i didn't know what was coming on the next album, i would love it. - tightly built, emotionally resonant songs. - vocals are wonderful, but again too my ears he came into full bloom later. Verdict: The peak of lo-fi sadboi pop. Listen Again? I'm certain someone is going to put it on again, probably soon. I do have teenagers, after all.
Se me hizo largo, y eso que es corto. Me gustó, está buenísimo para acostarme a la hora de la siesta a escucharlo mirando el techo. No presté atención a las letras, pero suena introspectivo. Me gusta mucho la guitarra. Qué rara su voz, pero banco. Me recordó al trabajo solista de Frusciante.
Depressing? Probably, but art can sometimes be. He has a singer-songwriter voice you might hear around a campfire. Well, maybe not a campfire. Maybe some emo gathering where everyone just lost a friend or something.
A good album that contains one of the best songs ever written - Between the Bars.
I didn’t like this. The longer I listened the more angry this terrible (sad/pathetic) music made me feel.
Eh, not terrible
Не дослушал, унылое бренчание с монотонным пением
Слишком узконаправленный и «нишевый» альбом для грусти когда ты учишься в колледже и жизнь дерьмо. В более зрелом возрасте и в другой обстановке звучит не так пронзительно
Me confundió bastante la portada, porque parecía de rock o algo así bien raro, pero todo lo contrario, me gustó bastante
Great album with ok lyrics
Extra half star. Will revisit sometime down the road.
09/07 Boring
Elliott Smith was an artist I listened to as a teen. I realize now that I've never heard this album in full, I only downloaded his songs off LimeWire. The album as a whole bored me a bit, but I think that is just because I wanted to hear all of the songs I knew already. I need to go back to my iPod to find all of the Elliott Smith songs I cried to in 2004.
I had “the great good fortune” to see Elliott perform in Charlotte, NC, I think just before XO came out. He stood at the back of the stage, as deep in the shadows he could get, stepping up to the mic to sing in that breathy conversational semi-whisper, and then immediately sinking back out of the light. I won’t attempt to describe his music. I couldn’t do it justice. But my impression of the man, the artist, that night, was that he was like a child who was this frail little vessel for this immense poetic power, and it was cracking him apart. Like some advanced hyper-empathic alien intelligence was blowing through him, some extra-galactic Coltrane using Elliott’s whole everything as an instrument to convey these massive, monumental truths about the human condition, and it was tearing him at the seams. It’s enough to make you understand self-medication. It’s a night, a scene, a communal soul-sharing I will never forget. And, like Elliott, I have not always wanted to be alive, and there was every chance I could have not-been on that night. And I am so incredibly goddamn grateful I was.
Felt like I was not sad enough for this
Not terrible but a bit of a drag. More the album goes on the less I want to listen to it. Voice is not amazing. 2 on a different day, maybe. 1 today
okkkkk
Speed trials - 3/5 Alameda - 2/5 Ballad of big nothing - 3/5 Between the bars - 3/5 Pictures of me - 3/5 No name no.5 - 1/5 Rose parade - 2/5 Punch and judy - 1/5 Angeles - 1/5 Cupid's trick - 3/5 2:45 AM - 1/5 Say yes - 2/5
Virkelig fint album
Wasn’t really that interesting.
有点无聊，但是也没认真听
Pretty, but unremarkable
Neither for me please
Oh wow I can't believe I've never come across this before
Eh, it was fine … picked up a bit at the end but overall pretty forgettable 2.5
I love this album so much. Perfect for a morning drive to the seaglass beach. I’ll always remember hearing Between the Bars for the first time on the Banff/Jasper drive and it’s been a hauntingly beautiful addition to my playlists ever since. Can anyone destroy you with drama as well as he can?
6.5/10
Listened to this on a flight back from a Stag do in Dublin. Between The Bars took on a whole new level… I know he’s fairly marmite to a lot of people, but this is an incredible record for me. Finely balanced between utter despair at times and joy at others. Smith’s vocals were hauntingly beautiful throughout. A record I discovered a while back and revisit often.
Speed Trials: 2/5 Alameda: 2/5 Ballad Of Big Nothing: 2.5/5 Between The Bars: 1.5/5 Pictures Of Me: 3/5 No Name No 5.: 2/5 Rose Parade: 1.5/5 Punch And Judy: 2.5/5 Cupid's Trick: 2.5/5 2:45 AM: 1.5/5 Angeles: 2/5 Say Yes: 2/5
The pleasure of listening to Elliot Smith eluded me for a long time. This album was thrilling, though. There are theoretically only so many things you can do with one guy and an acoustic guitar, but I was on the edge of my seat with each new track. Smith's voice sounds as if he is screaming through a whisper, every utterance feels urgent and important. The low-fidelity recording charms and imparts a sense of familiarity and warmth, as if you had taken a mixtape from a stranger off a bus and found a masterwork. I think it is missing some gravitas to elevate it to a true masterpiece—in spite of how impressive this album is there is just something missing—but nonetheless this is a delightful listen and an important part of American music.
Quite whispery vocals set a mood, but I didn't appreciate anything groundbreaking
Elliott Smith made a brief but impactful mark on music and made some of my favorite songs.
you just walked home but it started raining so ur wet and ur failing ur math class but you just had the hottest most amazing makeout and u have a good fg to party w so ur listening to this album -between the bars
nice sound
decent
I liked it, but it also wasn’t too memorable.
slusala sam ovo dok sam vezla pred spavanje i bas mi se uklopilo u momentu. samo mi je jedna pesma ostala u secanju zbog uvoda (angeles) i 2:45 zapravo, ali to je to.
Peak depressed boy music
I'm not a sad songs person but I've always loved Elliott Smith's voice. It's so special to me. This album is so hauntingly beautiful. It works for any time or season.
I’m annoyed
More delightful songs by Elliott Smith. If you liked the other album, you'll probably like this one too. What a thought.
As with my previous exposure to Elliott Smith on this list (Figure 8), I wound up enjoying this more than I expected to. He had a gift for lyrics, though these arrangements were disappointingly simple in a lot of cases, and his guitar (well-played) had a tendency to drown out his voice. He deserved the better production of Figure 8, not to mention a longer and happier life.
Wird ja ziemlich gehyped, die Figure 8 liegt mir aber deutlich mehr.
Gut, aber überbewertet. Finde "Figure 8" und "XO" besser.
Is it as phenomenal as people say? Nah. I can see why it's being loved but... it's not for me. Still cool album.
Quite enjoyed this, especially the more up tempo songs. Thought it would grow on me but not really after 2 listens.
688/1001 2026.08.26 😴😴🌗🌑🌑
It's not bad. Nothing special, in my opinion—a little “meh” at times. Anyway, it was a good listen, so I'll give it a 3/5! I'm sure I've found things much worse than this on the list
I listened to this all day. Years before its time I think
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3_PPdjD6mg (10/10, 5/5 on this scale)
I liked it. A pleasant voice, pleasant music. Perfect for total relaxation.
he is perfect. I miss him so much!!!!
- I can see how this could be divisive, but I really like his voice -- this feels like quintessential 90s sentiment delivered in a less grandiose fashion than something designed for repetitive radio play ("Bittersweet Symphony" comes to mind) - I can also see how other artists probably drew from his style of almost whispering into the microphone. it feels very intimate, like each song is a secret just for you to hear - even the more rock-focused songs ("Cupid's Trick") don't have much force at all behind the lyric delivery, which I appreciate. grunge hotshots like Eddie Vedder were already behind the heavy 90s vocal performances, so this is a whole different approach
“I hope you're not waiting, waiting 'round for me… 'Cause I'm not going anywhere, obviously.” Some of the songs on this album are hopeful, some are curious vignettes, and some are distilled depression in a bottle. All of them make me feel something. Elliott had a gift for melody and lyrics, but also for creative chord progressions and voicings and song arrangements. The albums he released after this are excellent, but to me this is his masterpiece. Favorite songs: Angeles, Pictures of Me, 2:45 AM, Speed Trials, Between The Bars.
#224 - Elliot Smith came along at a time when I was not as open to hearing that soft melancholy music or allowing it in my life. I had a big affinity for British music around that time, so I missed out when this album came out. Now that I am 30 years older really delving into his catalog, I find this album really good, but it doesn't have the same impact it might have back then. I liken it to Arrested Development, when GOB (on hearing news of Tobias "looking like he's dead" ) was like "the tears just aren't coming". I just don't feel that way right now, but the songs are great.
I enjoyed it
Gear: Fostex TH610 (Lawton Mod Black Limba Chambers) Artwork: 🪞🎨🚬 Production: 🎧🫂👄 Music: 🖤💔❤️🔥 Rating: 🫗🫗🫗🫗(🫗)/5
En del trevligt, lite tråkigare än vad jag vill lyssna på. Stark 2a
I flit between this, self titled and Figure 8 as my favourite Elliott Smith album, but most of the time this is number one. So many incredible tracks, with Angeles, Say Yes and Between the Bars being some of his finest songwriting. He gets pigeonholed as a 90s specialist in misery, but his songwriting and use of harmony is just special, and belies the stereotypes. Listen to the chords in Between the Bars - very few people have ever used melody and harmony as brilliantly as this. The guy was a master. A top ten favourite album for me
Beautiful in its rawness.
Straaange, just started listening to this one loads before today so can quite happily write my review without listening, but will still listen Obviously his best album in my view. Phenomenal singer-songwriting, weird tunings, Speed trials (love the whispery singing), ballad of big nothing, between the bars (good will hunting anyone?), angeles, what’s not to love. Such an unassuming voice behind such sadness, wonder if he would have made anything better than his brief output. Most sketchy suicide ever makes it all the more frustrating
RIP goat, this isn’t my favourite Elliot smith album but that doesn’t mean it isn’t damn near perfect 4.5
great album. don't have much to say about it, but it grew on me heavily after these last two listens.
Never heard of this artist, but the album was nice for work. Coffee shop vibes.
I get Elliott Smith, just not for me. We all find our soft singing sensitive guys and he missed me by a couple years
Fand ich überraschend gut
Love!
boring 0/10
Now this is sad but music I can get behind. These something that feels honest and raw about it
Fountains of Wayne x Sufjan Stevens imo
Some of the best music ever written and one of the music world’s greatest tragedies :(
9/10 - I knew the album already but this was a great excuse to listen again. Incredible album from an incredible talent.
I love this album. Elliott's songwriting is great and I like the variation in instrumentation compared to some of his initial records. Between the Bars is one of my favorite songs of all time. 9/10
I love Elliot Smith’s voice and the way he sings. Such great style. This one just didn’t fully click with me though. Huge fan of “XO” and that one comes out strong with Sweet Adeline where nothing in this hit me as hard. Maybe it was just my mood. Def one I’ll go back to
It's been a very long time since I've put on an Elliot record, so this felt both nostalgic and cozy. My standouts: Ballad of Big Nothing, Pictures of Me, Angeles
I liked this a bit more than I expected, but overall, it's not really my thing
What a miserable bastard Pretty good musician though
woowwwwwww
Ugh. I listened to this and thought, "Man, this guy is really troubled." Then I read his Wikipedia entry and yeah. Tragic guy with a tragic story. That said, the music was boring to me. A troubled manifesto set to acoustic guitar.
I've heard worse
Bit of a mopey fella
idk
good listen overall, no complaints, the songs in this album made sense
Lo voy a seguir escuchando. Lo puse de fondo y me encantó, algún día de estos lo escucho con más atención, pero es bien el estilo de música que me gusta.
A truly gifted songwriter whose life was cut much too short.
I think I need to be a certain mood for this album. It's not bad. Not something I'd listen to daily.
Notables: - Say Yes
I think of this as Proto-Emo: after the disaffected cynicism of the grunge era, this intimate, delicate, and emotional album set a new tone for indie music that would follow.
Decent album kinda boring 5/10
I think there is a very specific time in my life I would have loved and cherished this album. I'm past that time now, but I still really enjoyed this despite that. My favorite track was 2:45am, but most of the second half really worked for me. Glad I heard this, honestly.
Tender and downcast, Either/Or is made for late nights where you're not feeling all that great about yourself. The guitar is delicate, the vocals soft and whispered. The lyrics are sad, but not so much so that listening to them becomes difficult; it hits a sweet spot in being depressing while still being comforting to listen and relate to. The vocal melodies on "Between the Bars" and "2:45 AM" are lovely, while "Rose Parade" may be the most fully realized song and is my favorite. I do think however that the lightness of the songs and the lack of variety in Smith's vocals limits the impact this has, meaning that while it's a very pretty album the emotion doesn't always come out of it. Still, it's hard to deny this is a very beautiful set of songs.
I'm just not sad enough to listen to Elliot Smith. Though I can see why people like it Favorite Songs: Speed Trials, Between the Bars
<3
This was darn near perfection. This album will be listened to again and again.
Perfectly balanced in anything.
Bit depressing for a Monday
Very good. Highs for me are Speed Trials Between the Bars Rose Parade Say Yes
Jeez. 2 in a row? This album is in my personal top 10. 5 "I still miss you" stars.
Too slow and too quiet
I genuinely enjoy every Elliot Smith song, but there's something that keeps me from connecting like a lot of my xennial cohorts do.
Very pretty music and great writing, but a little slow and repetitive to listen to all the way through. I forgot how obsessed I was with “Say Yes” in middle school, that hit me like a sack of wet sand. It’s basically poetry set to pleasant music, but I’d want to sit and listen to this whole album about as often as I sit and read through a book of poetry. Which is not never, but pretty rare.
Some jerks add an f to art. What is another term for fart? 1/5
i love elliott smith this album feels so intricate and cozy im gonna cry
Fav song from this album is ballad of nothing.
Oh dear, pretty forgetable
These are exactly the kinds of songs that you would expect to hear lending "gravitas" to a serious movie moment. There's nothing wrong with these songs, but they are very forgettable, and the inclusion of TWO Elliott Smith albums on a list that completely shuts out Warren Zevon really highlights the generational bias of the list's creator.
Elliott Smith’s Either/Or is one of those rare albums that hooks you on the very first listen, making you want to replay the whole thing immediately. It is a beautiful, heartbreaking classic that perfectly captures why the 90s is probably my favourite decade for music—there were just so many artists making absolute gold back then. For me, this record is incredibly special. It gave me a lot of comfort when I was going through some intense grief. Because it carries so much emotional weight, it’s definitely not an album I can play every day, but looking at how much it means to me, I don't think I can give it less than a perfect 5-star rating.The musical talent on display here is fantastic, especially the great chord changes and the guitar work. "Ballad of Big Nothing" was an instant love for me the second I heard it, and "Pictures of Me" is an absolute gem. But "Between the Bars" is the one that really does something to me; it feels so raw and intimate that it puts a lump in my throat. The whole record just feels so vulnerable. Elliott Smith was a massive talent who was gone way too soon. R.I.P. Elliott.
Feels like a pretty basic indie songwriter album. Solid but nothing special.
Hard for me to get past his voice, a similar issue I have with Sufjan Stevens. Otherwise, some chill vibes, pretty songs, and good melodies in the background. I like how Cupid’s Trick livens up the album. Rating: 7/10 Favorite Song: Angeles
beautiful
This is a lovely album. It’s honestly just a nice listen. Speed trials is a nice way to open things up. Very calming, just something to have on. I really like this guys voice. Alameda has a slightly different sound, but keeps those calming vibes. I really liked the happy guitar of Ballad of Big Nothing. I also liked Between the Bars. It wasn’t long, but again it was just nice. This whole album has a warmth to it I can’t quite put into words. Pictures of me was a much needed increase in pace as compared to the previous tracks. No name #5 had almost a lullaby quality to it. Punch and Judy was quite pretty, and Angeles was also very nice. Say yes was a lovely way to end a really good album, 4/5 ⭐️ 215/1089
Nice but not impressive
Beautiful acoustic album, with standouts. 8/10
Indie rock. Very raw, melancholic and angsty music. Gave some nirvana vibes, but not as good. 2/5
Really good album! Quite enjoyed it and he really is good
muy bonito pero no me conmovió tanto
Wir werden keine Freunde
It’s a good album with soft vocals that can be both warming and haunting. I like the split between full band and acoustic to add different dynamics to the album and the vocal production with overdubbing. It’s got that post-grungey feel with angst so I can see the relatability. Maybe I’m harsh but I just don’t think it’s an amazing album that blows me away. But definitely a decent album with some good tracks in there that are well performed and written.
Pretty much as boring as the other album we've got ! happy to forget the existence of this music
Liked it but couldn't connect to strongly with anything. 2.5.
Prachtig album. Ieder nummer is perfect.
Great album. I reckon he’ll go far in life.
Ah.... high school nostalgia
In some ways "Either/Or" best captures the tone of Smith's music in that it is warm, intimate and brilliant in its melodies, yet simultaneously sparse in arrangement and understated in production. The tracks glide with layered harmonies and intricate fingerpicking, evoking the wistful happiness Smith is best at. It is clear that few albums convey such resonance and passion.
it ok
++: Speed Trials, Alameda, Between the Bars, No Name No. 5, Rose Parade, Punch and Judy, Angeles, Cupid's Trick, Say Yes +: Ballad of Big Nothing, 2:45 AM +-: Pictures of Me 8,7/10
Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for an album like this. I can appreciate its melancholic charm and its lo-fi feel, but not sure I’d reach for it when that’s the vibe I’m looking for. I have enough options that do this way better.
Another 90's artist to pass me by. I don't think I have even heard of him. After reading the blurb I was expecting something like a Jeff Buckley clone or something equally talentless. Imagine my surprise when after the first song I was really concentrating on his melodies and arrangements. Its top stuff for primarily acoustic folky music, which is well out of the range of my average listening material. Elliott Smith's vocals were outstanding and maybe when I play it again, I might make the effort to listen to what he has to say. It was a big and pleasant surprise for an album such as this to make me nearly go 'wow'. Nearly, that's why I'm giving it 4 stars. Maybe after a few more listens (he says now) it may end up being upgraded to a 5, but let's not be too hasty.
On paper I should LOVE Elliott Smith. And I know he’s loved by many……but. I just can’t get on with him. And I don’t even know why. It’s ok - but just something about it doesn’t speak to me.
Soft rock vibe with soft vocals, very chill vibe.
This is optimal sad boy music and I mean that in a complimentary way. I feel sad that Elliot was never able to get passed this in his personal life and I think that probably does cast a shadow over a lot of his music because you can't help but feel the heaviness of his death in all of his songs. That being said, I love me some Elliot Smith and he was really was that dude make the saddest tunes about and, in isolation, sad tunes are pretty cathartic and good to listen to and he was probably the best at making them.
This brought a big ol wedge of melancholy to my day! Haven't listened to much Elliot Smith since I was a moody moody moody teen so was curious how much this would hold up. Pretty well is the answer, I think it's more dynamic than he's often given credit for, probs because it's only the reeeeaaallly sad shit that people really talk about these days. I enjoyed this.
detta är en av mina favoritalbum, 10/10 i min åsikt. har lyssnat på elliott smith fler gånger än vad som anses att vara normalt.
känns som the original male manipulator musiken. men bra dock. stabil 7/10
All time great album. Perfect. Beautiful.
This is the second Elliott Smith album I've had on the list. As with the first album I got ("Figure 8"), I wasn't familiar with Smith or with any of the songs on this album. I did look back to see how I rated "Figure 8", and it looks like I felt the same way about that album as I do this album - it's fine, but nothing extraordinary. Singer/songwriter music that is slightly more up tempo at times, but nothing super interesting. It's a bit surprising that two albums by Smith appear on this list, as he never had any big commercial hits or seemed to be super impactful to make him stand out. Didn't mind listening to it, but wouldn't put it on my regular playlist.
Sooo good on second listen, def checking more out
Everybody talks about this being one of the most depressing albums ever made, but I don’t see it. I can tell it’s very personal and emotional but it also has a nice soothing aspect to it. I like it, but I think it’s slightly overrated.
obviously 5 star album
The opening song is interesting, Speed Trials. Reminds me of some of the lo-fi bands from the early 90's. It quickly goes downhill, every song is so similar and it is way to depressing. I hate the studio tricks he is using on the vocals and the spoken word singing here gets old. For only being 36 minutes it felt like a lot longer than that to get through this thing. I will save about 3 songs to a playlist but that is all I can take of this sad sack album
While not my favorite Elliott smith album, this one is still beautiful with its harmonies all done by Elliott and the acoustic warmth to such heartbreaking lyrics
You know what, it’s kinda good
No Elliott Smith album to me is below a 5/5. But I do have my favourites. This album to me used to be my favourite Elliott album and it still ranks high. I think self-titled would be my favourite. In any case, this is a great record. “Between the Bars”, “Angeles” and “Say Yes” are some of the best Elliott cuts in his discography. For anyone getting into Elliott Smith, this is the one I’d recommend.
music to listen to when it is raining
Definitely some good songs and I liked it, but I feel like it gets better with subsequent listens.
Perfect album. One of my favorites
Bo-Ring. But not as bad as the other Elliott Smith album I had to endure.
This was a struggle took multiple spins to get thru…was better than the last one but I’m not a fan of this dribble
Fine if you’re into it, but he’s just mumbling stuff over an acoustic guitar. It’s kinda a snooze fest.
Meh Not a fan of the vocals on this. The music was alright
eh
What a great album. Elliot Smith's cult following was definitely born out of this record. The spider-like delicate delivery over fingerpicking acoustic riffs was an intense experience. This was a human who was dealing with many emotions all at once and clearly used music to sort some of them out. He had a great knack for creating melodies in his lyrics without the need for catchy hooks. I noticed that many of the songs on this record do not contain a hook, but rather his lyrical prowess, melodies, and subject matter take center stage. It is a forlorn, distant, and melancholic record that reminds us of the person who Elliot was and how he lived his artistic vision. 8/10 record. A must-listen for those who love stripped back vocals and heavy subjects.
Well, at least it was short.
ballad of big nothing
Such a massive influence on my own writing and the majority of indie folk music coming out today. So honest and emotionally vulnerable without coming off as too whiny, and Smith’s tuneful ear and penchant for unexpected chord changes make every song stick. I still remember hearing “Speed Trials” for the first time, feeling that chill run through my body as I heard the line “when the socket’s not a shock enough” and knowing that I’d never heard anything like this before. True all-timer from one of the true all-time great songwriters. Still my favorite Elliott.
4.5
What a song writer. So sad he is no longer with us.
4.5
This is the second album of elliot smith in a week! I really enjoyed discovering this artists, already heard a couple of songs from this album before when listening to figure 8. This one is a bit more melancolic, but in a good way. really enjoyed!
perfect
My Phd dissertation was on Say Yes, probably the most widely-known tune on here, and deservedly so. It is the perfect example of what TS Eliot meant when he quipped that good artists borrow, where great artists steal. A close listen will reveal a similarity to the Minuet in G Major (that TIL was not Bach but in fact was some bro Cristian Petzold). He wasn't the first - check out The Toys' 60's pop classic, A Lover's Concerto - and in the difference between how the two approach the Minuet lies Smith's genius. Both of them moved it from a waltz to the more typical nowadays 4/4 time. But where The Toys checked the Minuet out of the library and dutifully returned it on time, Elliott Smith was downright felonious. There is something undeniably timelessly beautiful in how the Minuet's melody interacts with the counterpoint of the bass notes of the chords. Smith uses only a couple of the Minuet's melodic concepts and abstracts what we does use, but the chords and their bass notes are identical (relatively speaking. Say Yes is in F). Anyway, brilliant shit and a perfect package of music and lyrics to be a pop song for the ages. The whole album kills, too. Either/Or should be on any short list for all-genre category of best album of the 1990s and why it wouldn't be insane to claim him as the best songwriter of his generation. I am not much of a conspiracy theorist but his artistry and the incredible sensitivity revealed therein is the only reason why I can even begin to believe that he could have actually stabbed himself in the chest to death. That is an off the charts bonkers way to go, and the hole it created where his future music should have been is hugely depressing loss for everyone.
Given how little daylight there is between them (spirit-wise, that is, not temporally), it's kind of a bummer to get Nick Drake and then Elliott Smith in back to back order. And much like Drake's music, I'm a bit hard-pressed to distinguish between the two Smith albums in this collection, although I *think* this one is a bit less retro-inspired? Overall, though, it seems like a fine album, well-produced, and strangely (sadly?) forgettable, with the exception perhaps of "Pictures of me", "Cupid's trick" and the impressively bleak "2:45am". However, apparently Gus Van Sant was far more impressed, given that he put four different Smith songs--three of them from this album--in "Good Will Hunting". How do you like them apples?!
Yesterday I got Nick Drake, which I gave a 3 and was reminded when listening to Drake of how good Robyn Hitchcock's acoustic album Eye is, which I'd give a solid 5, and this is in between, so I'm agonna give it a 4, which is a little generous but that's how I roll.
A beautiful album, perfect for a rainy day. That said, the songs tend to blend into one another and it’s hard to tell one beautiful sad song from another.
Do you have any idea how fucking sad this made me feel
Enjoyed this. Forgot all about this guy sad story
Gorgeous songwriting and sense of melody.
Basically the same song 8 times.
The OG sad white boy indie artist. 8/10
Elliott Smith is one of those people who’d be described as a beautiful, troubled soul. That’s his music. It can be haunting and tragic, it can ind moments of bliss in melodies and harmonies. He’s really a phenomenal songwriter, up there with some of the best to me. Caught somewhere between a profound emo poet, folk guitarist, lofi outsider, and indie pop melodicist - he builds visual images of down characters, crafts clever melodies and tender harmonies, presented unique pick and strum guitar lines. It just fits together and can be quite touching.
Bad Acoustic Indie, stopped after 3 songs
My previous album was Coldplay, so everything afterwards sounds refreshing and may have influenced my score for this. But this was really enjoyable listening and definitely a start for dig deeper in the discography of Elliott Smith. But as a whole it is not really an record which make much difference with similar artists. 3/5
One of Smith's better works redefining emotion indie
I mean, it's sad, not really a perfect birthday album, but it is also pretty and touching so I'll make due
Good, not great 3.6
Well, this became epic after his death. Not my style, but respect. Respect.
i love tha smithler, though something keeps any one of his albums from being a true 5/5 for me
Great singer-songwriter, indie album. Elliott Smith’s voice is so unique and recognizable and he was a great songwriter, which is on full display here. My favourite song is “Rose Parade”, but the songs “Pictures of Me”, “Punch of Judy”, and “Cupid’s Trick” are amazing aswell.
For some reason, Elliott Smith always eluded me. I had tried in 5-minute increments to get into at least 1 of his many acclaimed albums but never could. Maybe it was too late at night, where I find this type of dreary songwriting works best, maybe it's that the whole thing sounds so hushed, as though Smith doesn't want to wake anyone up by recording this, maybe it's the inscrutable lyrics hidden in the mix, covered by the double tracked vocal performances. In any case, this was my first serious attempt to listen to the apparently unmissable catalogue of one Elliott Smith, and while it's not as good as the hype would indicate, it's also not this total snoozefest of sad guy with guitar that the opener had me think it would be. Smith's songwriting is well-known for its introverted approach. Taking cues from Nick Drake a generation prior, Smith weaves in these wonderful little images throughout every song that really makes the songs stick out in my mind. There's some louder, rockier bits here and there too, which keeps things interesting for the admittedly short runtime of this album. It's a very hushed performance to be sure, and I think that really sells just how internally focused this album is. Much of this is about isolation, depression, insecurity, all topics perfect for the sensitive and measured approach this album takes. I guess it works there. I personally found myself waiting for some more energetic moments to come in, and there's definitely a few of them here. Maybe it's just what I'm used to, and maybe I'm just not used to this kind of indie folk/rock/singer-songwriter thing. I do respect albums this vulnerable and raw a fair bit though, so that definitely brings this album up a peg - or several. Perfect music for contemplating yourself long past midnight. Key Tracks: Ballad of Big Nothing, Pictures of Me, No Name No. 5, Cupids Trick
music is love
Less sad than I expected it to be!
É um álbum de alt-Rock com belas melodias melancólicas. Eu até gosto da vibe, só que esse não é exatamente o estilo de fazer isso que eu mais gosto. Tangzu wa'ner.
I didn’t hate it, but it’s 36 minutes of the same song repeated over and over. Dude could have added some variety. lol
This is a utter amazing complex sad album
I thought this album would have resonated with me more than it did. I found it a bit boring!
I usually like a bit of Elliott Smith - but I think I'm too depressed for this, it was just getting me down. Beautiful music, bad timing.
Miserable af
3.8 2x great indie
Can understand why this is here, it's extremely emotional and stunning. But not really for me. A few good songs, but mostly similar stuff, that didn't do much for me.
the scream I scrumpt when I got this album
i mean het is gwn goed maar niet zo goed als nick drake.
HOLLLYYY SHIT wat een emo muziek.. nick drake van de jaren 90? 10/10
This is solid, just not my cup of tea
Great tunes and find fir me thx!
Ok. Chill. Nothing stuck out. Wasn’t distracting
i knew elliott but not his music, i found the album very touching, best recommendation so far.
This album felt... creepy. I was uncomfortable listening to it.
Pretty good. Elliot RIP
Nothing makes me quite as sad as Elliott Smith, his music and his life story. Such a musical talent that was taken way too soon. He influenced a whole generation of music. I miss you Elliott.
The chord changes on this are beautiful and never predictable. It's like Radiohead or Nirvana playing sad boy folk (this is a good thing). 4.5/5.0: Excellent
i enjoyed this one much more than the other album from him ive heard. there are a few good songs but i was bored by the majority of them
Elliott Smith is the greatest ever songwriter in my opinion
easiest 5 ever
It was ok, I like the sound of his voice and it was fairly creative.
Pretty boring
9/10
Good album. Little mellow for me today.
Нежная музычка, как будто какой-то маленький и нежный мужчина ласкает уши, не мой формат и стилёк вообще. Но в целом жанр необычный и прикольный.
Bel album On sent que le mec a bossé seul dessus et c’est à écoute allongé dans son lit avec un casque en regardant le plafond
Surfjan Oberist-ey
I'm always amazed how Elliot Smith's music can pull me in to his depressive trance, and yet I still love listening to it. Great musicianship and emotional depth here, and catchy enough to pull you in if you are only listening on the fringes.
its all right
8/10
𝘌𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳/𝘖𝘳 is an album I respect more than I enjoy. Elliott Smith’s songwriting is intimate, understated, and deeply personal, and it’s easy to hear why he remains such an influential figure in indie folk. My problem is that the album is almost too understated for its own good. The gentle acoustic arrangements and hushed vocals create a beautiful, cohesive atmosphere, but after a while I catch my mind wandering. Rather than drawing me further in, the songs begin to blend into one another. I can appreciate the album’s quiet beauty and emotional honesty, but it never quite connects with me on the same level. In the end, I admire 𝘌𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳/𝘖𝘳 more than I actually enjoy listening to it.
definitely a 90s album. too boring for me.
Perfectly okay. Not egregiously awful, not earth splitting excellence. A guy writing and singing songs, with the mood of the 90s woven in. I’m picking other stuff from the same era, but I didn’t mind giving this a listen.
Nice enough
Ahh... Mr. Smith. I listened through the whole album in the slow evening as I drink my hot tea and banana cake. It's a good album to zone out to. My favorites from this album are Ballad of Big Nothing, Pictures of Me and Say Yes. He just encapsulates a sad, sad loser very well, and I feel like one atm so this album is great company. The lyrics to Say Yes spoke to me the most. I understand why this album is a classic by him. I give this a 7/10.
One of my personal favorites. Soul crushing throughout and one of the most vulnerable records I've ever heard. Every song on here is perfect in capturing the melancholy Elliot was feeling during the recording, pulling you into his world. All it can ask of you is to sit and listen, as if a friend came to you and needed someone to just hear their venting. Not looking for answers or solutions, just comfort. I love basically every song on here but my personal standouts are Big Ballad of Nothing, Between the Bars, Angeles, 2:45, and Say Yes. Speed Trials sets the mood for the record and every track after carries the mood perfectly before culminating in a the uplifting moment of optimism of Say Yes. The lo-fi production thought adds to the intimate feeling, as if Smith is playing directly in front of you. Cried many a drunk nights to this album, but the comfort in this record comes from a sense that you can relate to Smith and can both weather the depression to make it through the rough times.
Vocals are beautiful. I don’t think I’ve ever listened to his music before, music was really pretty. Feels ahead of its time and can see how it’s influence modern Indie
Full on emo boy album this is but it was nice to listen to. Didn't really focus a lot on all the songs that I heard in this album cause. None made me look at my phone Not really any songs that I liked in the album Rating - 5/10
One of the greatest, most intimate records ever. I've always loved it.
Speed Trials - 4/5 Alameda - 4/5 Ballad of Big Nothing - 4.5/5 Between the Bars - 4/5 Pictures of Me - 4/5 No Name No. 5 - 4/5 Rose Parade - 4/5 Punch and Judy - 3.5/5 Angeles - 4.5/5 Cupid's Trick - 4/5 2:45 AM - 4/5 Say Yes - 4/5 A surprisingly intimate listen from an artist that I had never heard from. It's a fairly gentle and melancholic sound that he manages to pull off, but there really isn't something here that makes me want to really like it. It's a good album, but most of the songs sort of feel a bit of the same at times. Overall: 4/5 Favorites: Ballad of Big Nothing, Angeles
Repeat listen
I should have loved this but I just found it to be a bit too monotonous for my taste. I love Bjork in small doses but find an entire album difficult and I know I’m probably wrong.
Magic mopery
I missed the boat with Elliot Smith while he was around, and singer songwriter guitar driven moody white guy indie rock is not exactly what i'm going for these days, but he's clearly different. Really liked the album, i'll listen to the rest of his discography now.
This is my second Elliott Smith album on this list, and whilst this seemed to fare a little better than the other one it still didn’t do much for me. Nice drum sound on Alameda, and a good production overall, but nothing much appealed to me.
yes perfect
This was better than I expected. Just a couple of dreary songs but mostly pretty enjoyable.
Like it
Zzz
Вот эта вот волна лоу-файного акустического инди из девяностых, одно из веяний того времени, которое я не то что не понимаю.. Да не, прекрасно понимаю и запрос аудитории на подобное и почему и откуда это возникло и какими примерно исполнителями вдохновлялись такие как Эллиот Смит или Неэчерал Милк Хотел. Несмотря на то, что у меня даже сегодня утрецом такое настроение меланхолично-грустноватое и вроде даже как под него такое заходит - надо смотреть правде в глаза. Я этот альбом на следующей неделе не вспомню. Ну не цепляют меня сэдбои под грустную акустику и минималистичный саунд. Я ищу в музыке больше музыки , даже когда дело касается грусти и меланхолии, сорян.
привет Ваня! скукотища альбом конечно
ПОЛИНА ПРИВЕТ)
Angeles
Слушала пару дней назад как раз. Слова излишни. Гений. I can’t fix him.
Finally, депрессивные мужики подъехали. На самом деле при всей моей любви к подобной музыке отношения с эллиоттом как-то не складываются. Я понимаю, что это классно, но вот в душу к сожалению не западает. Но это всё ещё отличная музыка, и рад, что он есть в этом топе
приятно слушать, когда-то давно не зашло совсем, а спустя время плавно полюбил. так что оценка моя тут субъективная(и не только тут) - 4
I was more familiar with his later albums like "XO" and "Figure 8," so this was my first time listening. Smith was a master of melody, song arrangement, and quietly desperate lyricism. That said, this album felt more demo-like to me, without fully fleshed out arrangements. All of the ingredients were here but I think he hit his peak on his next album. "XO." I think we're overdue for a biopic about Smith's life and still unresolved death. He was a fascinating and compelling artist.
It may be the obvious choice, and there's great songs on every one of his albums, but this is my favorite Elliott Smith record. Just perfectly encapsulates everything that made him singular - his Beatleesque ear for melody, the amount of emotion and urgency he can convey while barely singing above a whisper, the lyrical brilliance of songs like Rose Parade. Even the way the man played guitar was unique, with that signature step down tuning and spacy quality. Pretty perfect and has to be one of the best albums of the 90s, love this one
Interesting album and new to me artist. I enjoyed what I heard but none of the songs stood out overall at first listen. I did find what I read on Wikipedia about Elliott Smith and his life interesting. Seems he influenced a number of artists including Billie Eilish and Madonna, whom covered “Between the Bars” Sad life ending story and seems to be another untimely death for the musical world.
Gostei demais, curto essa vibe melancólica. Esse mais acústico e tal, muito bom.
Wow. Did not expect this to be as excruciatingly beautiful as it is. Artists who expose the deepest feelings are telling us secrets about themselves at great risk. Maybe the urge to get shit off your chest is the same urge that makes you say f it all. The same sensitivity that makes your art touch people is the same sensitivity that exposes something you didn’t mean to, or allows you to get hurt without knowing the pain isn’t permanent. Really amazing work. Be nice to someone today.
Sad singer-songwriter album with lots of acoustic guitar and whispered vocals. Not really my style but it was a bit less boring than some of the similar albums on this list so far.
best track: 2:45 am
I don’t like this. His vocal delivery rubs me the wrong way. The style is overly uniform. The big positive here for me is the guitar playing. I like the guitar work on Angeles quite a bit. I think it’s just not my style because I certainly don’t think this is bad.
It was a pretty good album. It combines rock and folk and it sounds really good. It's a hidden gem in the world of music and definitely deserves more appreciation.
limed it
This album is just so goated. Elliott smiths ghostly layered vocals on every song are perfect. This album is some of Elliott Smith's best work. Absolutely beautiful, 5 stars.
Straight up good
Personally not my taste. Interesting sound but a bit boring in the long run, as the lyrics didn't speak to me as much as I expected. I understand he influenced artists I liked but it wasn't for me. Most of the songs sounded the same.
Mais uma vez um artista folk, e mais uma vez alguém que não conheço. Fica dificil de comentar sobre, meu tipo de música melancólica e sentimental é bem diferente disso aqui, porém não diria que é ruim. É compreensível quem gosta. Me parece muito trilha sonora de filmes noir (ainda mais com essa artwork onde o artista parece um p*sicop*ta kkk). Interessante. Não é de se jogar fora.
Lo-fi sad boy music... where's nick?
Didnt gel with this. Like listening to a Beatles cover solo artist ok a coustic who doesnt know the words or tune.
one of *the* albums of my life. say yes and angeles are going to be strong contenders for my favorite songs on this whole list when all is said and done
I thought there were some nice Beatleesque melodies, but otherwise it was terrible and I couldn't wait for it to end.
mid
An album so beautiful and bleak, it makes you want to give Elliott Smith a big cuddle. This was the first ES record I ever heard and saw him live the following year (with Quasi as his backing band). Chatted to him after the show and he was just a shy, lovely man. This is one of his best collection of songs. The production is wonderfully lo-fi but intimate and warm. I can’t pick a favourite. It’s a perfect album.
Weepy whispery whiny. I do like the low fi recording and the music is pretty good, but the voice spoils it for me.
Good album. Really liked Between The Bars, Cupid's Trick and Say Yes.
Lo primero en lo que pensé mientras escuchaba las canciones era en Mac DeMarco. Tiene una esencia tan similar, y me gusta que el ritmo tranquilo queda muy bueno y muy "comodo auditivamente". En general, no soy el mayor oyente de canciones de un estilo suave, pero este album me sorprendió, me gustó mucho todo, tampoco fue la maravilla mas grande, siento que tiene un puntaje sobresaliente en comparacion de algunos albumes anteriores punteados. El album lo dejaria de fondo para actividades tranquilas probablemente, algo casual donde quiera concentrarme en lo que hago.
It kind of went right over me. The songs are nice but they blended together too much for me.
I listened a lot to Elliott Smith in the late 90s. A sort-of lo-fi grungy version of the Beatles-meets-Beach-Boys. Years later I'm revisiting my old grounds, and Smith is still good. Yeah, he's good - but I cannot also hear the limitations. A strong songwriter, yet one who circles the same things again and again. I'd love to give this a 3.5 because Either/Or is a good album but today it's a 3.
This is just so incredibly boring.
tuvo bueno no recuerdo ninguna cancion
Try being a bit upbeat now and again.
Wasn't aware of this artist, lengthy Wikipedia page, far from ideal childhood, turmoil, upheaval, and yet he persevered, graduated college, struggled with alcohol, drugs, depression, and tragically died from stab wounds at 34. I liked this album, favorite track Cupids Trick. 3 stars
Was already sad this didn't help
Formative album. I saw Elliott Smith in a tiny club right after his weird Oscars performance, and it's a cherished memory.
Perfect vocals. Perfect guitar work. Perfect melodies. Perfect production. Just an all-around perfect album
No idea what this has to do with Kierkegaard. I've listened to Either/Or a few times over the last couple years, desperate to see in the album what other people have seen in it, and I think this is the run that cracked it open. Once I let go of the tragic mythology of it and enjoyed it as some great guy-at-hos-guitar rock I really loved it. It's the kind of music that's best suited to the compact disc - the kind of record your buddy loans you and you keep on repeat in the car stereo for a couple weeks. Let it's moodiness, it's sense of strange melancholy, wash over you and flick it away with the windshield wipers. You're eighteen, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and trying to learn your favourite Elliot Smith song on the acoustic guitar your roommate brought to the sharehouse. You saw a guy at a party play Between The Bars around a fire pit (the 'guy with an acoustic guitar' is still a 'cool' archetype) and can't remember the song for years until it randomly appears in your Spotify weekly. Fav tracks: Between The Bars, Cupid's Trick, Speed Trials
Very chill - I liked it.
Eh. Either Or is appropriately titled. Take it or leave it.
3/5 This is like the 4th time I've given this album a chance and it's just never done anything for me.
I found Figure 8 (the other Elliott Smith album on the list) surprisingly generic – I think this rawer, more stripped-back sound works much better. It's fitting that a song here is called 2:45AM, as this does sound like something you should be listening to on your own in the early hours.
One of my favorite records of all time. Incredible melodies, delicate songs with devastating lyrics. Enough emotional rawness that even clunkers like "say yes" can land
3 out of 5. This wins over Figure 8 for me. The intimacy stands out and the melodies are more attractive here.
i got into him bc of the royal tenenbaums. i did not particularly like that movie tho. i miss him every day also listening to this album gave me the chance to revisit a lot of songs i forgot i liked!! i haven't listened to it in full in such a long time
1/10
Good songwriting for sure. Maybe a little on the bleak side for my liking.
this was better than i thought it was gonna be, i did think it was going to be a lot more depressing than it was although the end sort of went in that direction. will have to give it another listen i think
Surprisingly really good
That perfect song from Good Will Hunting
Oh to be 19 and mildly depressed…. Still a great album, and I was already wearing my black jeans and flannel shirt when I got this. So not a huge amount has changed really.
As a teen, like many teens before me and since, I got into Nirvana in a big way. I always gravitated to MTV Unplugged more than any studio album. In 2005 (2 years after Elliott’s death), I used to post on nerdy music forums like ateaseweb and sonic youths message board. Some person whose name I’ll never know suggested Elliott Smith to me on the basis I liked MTV unplugged. I can’t really explain the effect it had on me at that point in my life and I can’t listen to this (or any other of his albums) rationally since. Always 5 stars whenever I come back and I suspect it always will be.
Years ago I dated a girl and the morning after we spent a night together I put this CD in my discman and walked to work. I remember it being a beautiful day: the sun was out, I sat on the green grass idling away time before my shift started, watching people going about their days. “Say Yes” came on and that lyric about being in love with the world through the eyes of the girl all made sense in a way that a song had never made sense before. That relationship didn’t last long past that day, and it wasn’t love, but Either/Or is still one of those albums that holds a lot of personal meaning for me. Five stars.
Enjoyable listen with a pop-like feel from this artist
This was just a little dull, unfortunately.