Reviews (page 11 of 13)
Arrangiamento e produzione non mi hanno impressionato anche se nel complesso il disco l’ho sentito facilmente.
Good but not as good as self titled
- too long - interesting production - got bored
YEAAA saved it, i like it . especially l.a and the one with the really long hunky dory name that comes afterwards
I had no idea who this guy was. Now I wonder why that is because this is a pretty good album. It all ran together toward the end but there are some strong tracks throughout. Bummer that he died young.
I listened 3 times and had to really focus. This music fades into the background really easily. With its repetition, it gets you into a folkindie trance. My favorite songs are Everything means nothing to me, Stupidity tries, and can't make a sound. I do think the album is too long and that many songs are forgettable. A middle of the road album for middle of the road times.
Favourite Song: Somebody That I Used To Know
Sounds like the end of American beauty / good will hunting or any other late 90's existential movie.
Some nice tracks and interesting lyrical themes.
Nowhere near as dreary as I was fearing with a few nice upbeat tracks. Not necessarily my kind of thing but it was decent enough for a one-off listen. Best track: Stupidity Tries
Zitten 2 catchy songs in. Maar vrij 'repititief'
Liked it, it sounds familiar. Nice for a relaxed Sunday
I think of Ben Folds without the interesting rhythms and lyrics. Pretty okay singer-songwriter, and not TOO quiet, but will take a few listens to grow on me. Was gonna say 2, but as I have listened a couple of times today on accident, it is growing on me. I think I'm giving it a 3 for potential.
2e nummer van de plaats is niet echt zuiver gezongen. Voor de rest best goede muziek voor op de achtergrond.
Indie Ok
Wonder if my parents listened to Louis Prima... The chorus “I Got Nobody” very similar to David Lee Roth
7
Några va bra, några va bajs
Bit Sufjan-esque
A bit "meh". It didn't grab my attention.
needs another listen but good
good for background
Lyrically dense. Will have to give it another few listens to really appreciate it.
No está mal, pero no es lo que mas me apetecía escuchar.
Bien
Tranquilito, pero bien.
Somebody That I Used To Know features some killer acoustic guitar work. I liked L.A. meh its just not for me.
Not bad honestly. Not my favorite genre but I definitely enjoyed the production. Singing was meh but bearable for 52 min. Might listen again, kinda forgettable.
Un disco con el que no pude conectar, por decir algo. O sea, no me desagradó para nada, tiene sus buenos momentos, pero lo escuché varias veces y como que nada "me hizo clic". Yo creo que tiene sus dosis acertadas de varias cosas, como romance o humor: además de las letras, un gran tino poner juntas "Everything Reminds Me Of Her" y "Everything Means Nothing To Me". Creo que todas las canciones podrían salir en películas de esas que gustan etiquetar como indie. En fin, creo que "L.A." y "Stupidity Tries" fueron las que más me gustaron, además de la ya mencionada "Everything Means...". En fin, DEP E. Smith. 7/10
It was an average album overall. A lot of 60s inspired sounds that I enjoy, but other than his unique voice, not much of an impression left. Not sure how he inspired so many musicians.
Rock setentero
Quite good, liked some of them
ist doch alles ganz nett - 3
It was fine, just not my thing.
pollege
enjoyed it
Oh you mean John Lennon Jr.? You mean the soundtrack to any movie wanting to worth their weight? He’s not bad. Pretty pleasant. Would listen again.
I really enjoyed his singing and the instrumentals don't overshadow his voice(as with some bands where the singer has a softer singing style). The music is a bit softer and slower("easy way out") than I usually like but this one was good. I really enjoyed the more country-esque songs ("junk bond trader" and "L.A") and the more folky ones were good too("colorbars")
I probably should have been listening to this more carefully. One of these singer songwriters that's been on the periphery of my radar for a long time but never got to. It sounded pretty but I wasn't really tuned into the lyrics. Something to revisit.
Elliot Smith reminds me a lot of Bright Eyes, but I find him to be the nicer, gentler version. Nothing on the album did a whole lot for me, but nothing was bad. Very chill.
Not bad.. at a push I was very same sounds across the tracks
light liatening
some good. some bad
2000s music sounds inspired by 70s/ The Beatles
Nice
Decent album but nothing more
Liked most of the songs in the moment, but nothing stuck with me.
Lovely..
ok
There was 9 figures
s'aight,
I hadn't listened to Elliott Smith before, so went in with an open mind. Didn't love it, though some songs were not entirely unpleasant. Favorite song: Everything Means Nothing To Me
Ok but wouldn’t listen again
Jesus, this guy likes a moan. The first listen I glazed over and enjoyed some of the instrumental elements, it’s got some nice soft rock composition and the sound of the vocals isn’t unpleasant, just talking on the pitch and tone. However. The lyrics are so on the nose and aren’t particularly clever. One of those head scratchers for its inclusion. Wish I’d remained in blissful ignorance and only given it the once over. Bleh. The most interesting thing about this album was googling him.
A little bright and cheesy over a slow depressing theme which I find quite odd and annoying. You then get this delicate mongo singing over the top, which when accompanied with a fairly paired back production just seems at total odds. Am I listening to a lovely sunny day or a suicidal idiot. I have no clue, so its compelling factor is zero as I have no reason to engage in the music or the vocals. Flat, boring and of no meaningful musical connection.
I'm afraid that I am in the camp that finds this album completely underwhelming. It has mundane, uninteresting guitar music overlayed with whiny, breathy vocals performed by a complete melt.
Whiny
its not my music. But it is world best classic
nice to start, felt tedious, not a bad album just not personally one id replay a lot
Jesus the dude stabbed himself to death?? Didn't mind Son of Sam. Not so big on track 2.. I don't like his voice one bit. Instrumentals aren't bad though (Junk Bond Trader)! I wonder if everything means nothing to this guy. Oh wait the band came back in and it was kind of cool. L.A. is good! I like when there's more of a rock sound going on. Stupidity Tries is also pretty entertaining. Had it on quietly in the back; Can't Make A Sound had me turn it back up. This guy's not bad. Will go back today and finish - 2 until then.
Ok
pretty good, reminds me of the verve but if they were actually interesting, still just depressing early 2000s british whining at heart, but musically much more interesting across the board, 2.5/5 seems appropriate. Its good but not anything that makes me think about it once i am done. reading this bio, i realize he is not even british but his sound is the same regardless of place of origin.
Very emotional and soft album, not really my favorite but there were a few good songs and he’s clearly talented
Sorry you died love but it was a bit dull. Alas did not capture my wee heart in the way I think it should. Nice singing and musics and yet.... it did nothing for me. Sorry to this man
Unoffensive but very mid :P
L.A. and Everything Means Nothing To Me are my favs. Pretty chill album in my opinion.
I do not like this guy. I do not like his voice.
Christ, that was boring.
4/10 - a bit of a drag, nothing of note
I like the vibes not the guys voice
I can’t do his voice for more than 2 songs in a row
This sounds like pretty generic singer/songwriter guitar pop to me, nothing to hate, but also not much to like.
i can feel lots of energy but overall it was very forgetable for me
If Kohn Lennon were resurrected as a 00s era pop artist. Same voice, slightly less grating, even liked some of the songs. It did overstay it's welcome though
This felt like the Beach Boys but 30ish years in the future.
Second album proposé après 'Either Or' que je n'avais pas apprécié (noté 2/5 - rien de mémorable). Ce second album est tout aussi oubliable, et est beaucoup trop long. Pas désagréable, mais rien ne me donne envie d'y retourner. =>2/5
Tracks to go back to: • Son of Sam • Junk Bond Trader • L.A. • Stupidity Tries • Wouldn’t Mama Be Proud • Can’t Make A Sound Long winded lot of skips 7/1/26
I didn't hate it, Son of Sam was a good opening and his voice is actually quite nice, but it still ended up repetitive after a while, with later tracks losing a lot of the energy that made some of the early tracks nice Mostly kind of turns into background music. It feels like one of those albums that is only on the list due to a tragic death because there are a TON of those. I'm sure I'll like his other album on here more
fav songs: somebody that i used to know introspective, melancholic, quiet 30/100
The main thing that carries this album is definitely Smith's songwriting capabilities (which are admittedly slightly diminished by the end of the album...). Despite many of the songs adopting a bleak emotional perspective, Smith consistently employs vivid metaphorical language to convey the psychological complexity underlying his melancholy. Despite Smith's overall attitude across the album remaining fairly constant, within each song he reframes his message in order to provide the listener with a deeper sense of understanding and perspective surrounding his thoughts/problems - but whilst this is intriguing in the beginning of the album, this lyrical approach soon grows tiresome and dreary. Smith takes a grounded approach to his life as a songwriter - he appears to discredit himself as a picture-perfect 'celebrity', and instead portrays himself as someone shaped by his extensive misery and loneliness. However, this also reinforces a deeply melancholic public persona that rarely allows for moments of emotional relief. My main issue with this album is how monotonous it is. The whole album becomes emotionally exhausting relatively quickly and is therefore one I'd very rarely reach for - a lot of the songs sound very similar and are all underpinned by his message of his eternal sadness which, as unfortunate it is, makes this album quite a boring listen. I'm going to give this album a 2.5/5 - it's nothing special and is not one I see myself returning to anytime soon.
It was ok. I kept waiting for a song to hook me and it never really happey
This was boring as fuck.
This album feels like a producer told Elliot Smith that his music was too sad and he needed to be more energetic. Many of the themes are still melancholy, but now with snappier rhythms underneath. Yet, it doesn't feel like an intentional and interesting juxtaposition. It just kinda clashes.
It’s so twee and MOR and boring :( 2
idk man. lots of my favorite artists say he’s their number one inspiration, but he’s just not that special to me 😔 idk and he’s got that nasally voice 😔 idk 😔
this was mid
Another strange one. I genuinely enjoyed the music for the most part, and I really didn't hate any part of the album, but its just his vocals. For my ears, they're just on a frequency that I don't even register. Attempting to listen to the lyrics created a Men In Black mind-wipe effect.
I feel like the Elliott Smith and Nick Drake picks are starting to blur together. I can't tell you how many of each of them we've listened to so far. I liked how this one sounded but the songs didn't really stand out to me in any way.
Not my thing. Good tho
To me for an album to be memorable something has to pop. Be it voice, lyrics or the tunes. Get two of three it could be great all three rare. This ticks none of those boxes. Entirely forgettable. Not offensive not bad just not enough to elevate it above and make it special. He probably has his fans who will defend him to the death but not me.
Mostly, these are perfect tracks for a montage on a mid-2000s CW show, perhaps where all the characters are at home being sad looking out of windows. The better tracks might be used on a mid-series season of Scrubs instead. Not for me.
Een album waarvan ik hoopte dat het ergens heen zou gaan, maar binnen de grenzen blijft. Halverwege opgegeven
Un álbum bastante interesante, algo tranquilo y exótico; no sé si me la pasaría escuchándolo todo el día, pero alguna que otra canción sí me gustó.
Lyrically it’s good, but I just doesn’t resonate with me at any point. Very repetitive with some exceptions.
ok, mas meio sem graça, ritmo até q vai, 2
meh
It wasn't bad. Elliott is a talented musician, but god the album was boring
Listened 17 May 2026
Vocals are too soft. Need more energy for gym workouts.
Liked Son of Sam, but after that the album was progressively drained of life. Enjoyed a number of interesting chord changes, but the songs lacked spark.
This was incredibly boring.
I didn’t need to hear that before I died. Sorry but it mostly all sounded the same and kinda boring
Reading the reviews, I dont hate this as much as the haters, but just cant love it like some of the lovers I have no history with this guy - listening for the first time Its okay, but I wont be back any time soon
Expectation: -> This should be entirely new to me. After listening: -> Indeed the album is new to me. However, I recognized his voice (semi-fondly) and with some research figured it must be the Good Will Hunting soundtrack. I can listen to this but my mind floats away from it pretty quick. This is good music yet his style is too mellow/flat for my liking. Track ranking: Sam Happiness Junk Mama LA Somebody Sound Stupidity Mary Quiet Everything means Colorbars Lost Easy Everything reminds Bye
Mehhh. Nostalgic of that noughties not sound but I find this sort of music a bit redundant and whiny.. it was just an okay listen for me
Inoffensive but forgettable
I thought the songs were well produced but just found them a bit dull!
It was fine. A little long. It all kind of sounded similar. I like his voice though.
Okay
A bit whiney for my taste, and actually i didn't want to finish the full album. There might be some good songs on it, but we'll never know.
This one didnt do anything for me...wont get another listen.
Some good songwriting, but a lot of it is overly complex and hard to connect with. Got bored quickly. Vocals are another low point, but instrumentation is pretty good
Inoffensive.
Forgettable
Most of the tracks read as dreary aughts indie with just a dash of rock riffing thrown in. Most of this didn't connect. I love indie music and have spent the 21st century listening to it, just not quite Mr. Smith. My boredom is more a reflection of familiarity than merit. Unlike many albums, I enjoyed the middle tracks more than the bookends. The wiki confirmed the vibes I was picking up. (Also, this really sounds like a DreamWorks album. 100% Shrek era) RIP Elliott, and thanks for all the influence.
The lyrics balance out the music.
i wasn't able to finish this. Not my vibe
honestly. forgot i was listening to this. didnt love. but then i listened to his other album either/or and had a great time
Couldn't fully get into it, but I see there is a vibe there some would like, not for me though
I really just did not care about this album and plan on fully forgetting it existed by tomorrow. It's not necessarily bad, just horribly uninteresting. Adding this in after-the-fact: Elliott Smith died??
I need to revisit this - I was so incredibly bored the entire time. I wanted to like it and parts were enjoyable, but an entire album of what felt like slow sad songs is just not it. I was a bit distracted today, hence the first sentence, but very little I gathered was a good listen.
I thought I would like this more
Not my cup of tea, but can see why its on here.
very mopey and somber, not bad, just not a good vibe.
I’m not sure I have anything interesting to say about this album. I listened to it 2 days ago and can barely remember my opinion.
I liked the other Elliott Smith album I heard a lot more than this one. This one was pretty boring for most of the runtime, and it just kind of sat there without leaving much of an impression. It is polished and pleasant enough, but not in a way that made me care. “Can’t Make a Sound” was the one real standout for me. That was the track that actually broke through a little.
Sigue pareciéndome aburrido. Quizá no me he cuadrado buen momento
This one just felt alright. For some reason reminds me of the Beatles. Not something I'm going to be looking into more.
Een soort constant depressieve Beatle
this is not good. sounds like a trainwreck maybe its outdated. its just whatever really
Hmm
I really really wanted to like this but I just didn’t. Having heard so many artists I love like Phoebe Bridgers credit Elliott Smith as being a massive inspiration, I expected to find a similar love in his music and I just didn’t. I think the main thing holding me back is his vocal delivery. I really really don’t like this whispery nasally way of singing, I think it’s very grating and can ruin otherwise well written songs. But even to that point, I found the writing incredibly underwhelming. I don’t know, maybe I didn’t connect with the lyrics because of the vocals, but something just was t reaching me. Very disappointing.
Figure 8 was a combination of the sixties Byrds/Zombies chamber pop and that early aughts indie genre. I liked hearing an older yet modern sound, but that was about it. I enjoy morose music, but there's something about Elliott Smith's morose that I don't vibe with. Maybe it's because I grew up during the indie rock phase and I'm over it.
It wasn’t actively bad, but I have already forgotten about it. 100% vanilla.
There's probably another timeline where I was a huge Elliott Smith fan. This is not that timeline.
Figure 8 is pretty, but like cake with too much frosting, gets tiring quickly.
I've just never vibed with Elliott Smith. I just find his work very one-dimensional.
nothing about this says 'great album' to me
It was just OK, but I feel like maybe a different day and I would give it a three.
wenn ich h rauchen würde wär das der shit
Solid album by Elliott Smith. I would rather have any of his earlier records before this one. 7/10 [SWAP]
Melancholisch Beatles x Red hot Chili peppers Ruhig & entspannt aber traurig
favs: everything means nothing to me in the lost and found (honky bach)/ the roost stupidity tries happiness/ the gondola man pretty mary kay better be quiet now can’t make a sound rating 2/5
I wasn’t a fan of his voice never was, but the music was fine. RIP tho, I am not trying to hate on him. It just didn’t sound that good to me.
Okay, but nothing special
This album was white noise. I barely paid attention. What I was more fortunate to have was a new Gorillaz album that released today. The Mountain. 10/10 made me cry.
Never listened to Elliot Smith, just knew he stabbed himself twice in the heart. Not what was expecting and not my thing but I appreciate another singer/songwriter putting Dylan and Cohen to shame.
Too sad to write review
I think it’s too harsh to give it a one, but I only really liked one song. This is very much background music although very peaceful you would just put it on forget that you have it on so I may use it to fall asleep or when I just need to. Scroll through my phone to check emails or delete old photos, which is what I did while I was listening to this album two out of five
Mediocre
Ok, but not really my thing.
Hva gjør dette på lista? Ekstremt A4. Verdens mest gjennomsnittlige album??
Yet a-fucking-nother blast from the past. This list has really been dredging up the oldies lately. I listened to Either/Or around 370 albums ago, much like what happened with Madonna's Ray of Light and then Like a Prayer, which was my previous album. I don't remember much about Either/Or, truth be told. I think the opening to the first track of that album occasionally pops into my head, but other than that it's been memory-holed. It was lo-fi, folky acoustic music if I'm not mistaken, which isn't really my thing. I've thought about revisiting that album in the time between these two albums, though I haven't felt compelled enough to give him a second chance. Maybe this final release will be the one to persuade me. Quite a pivot from what I remember of his previous album. The vocals are more or less how I remember them, but the instrumentals are a pretty big departure from the lo-fi, folky stylings of his previous album. I can appreciate this change of scenery, though I'm still pretty put off by this album. Much like with Either/Or, the vocals on this album frustrate me in a way which is difficult to articulate. He sounds oddly restrained on these tracks despite the competent songwriting and decent range. Holding back as a vocalist is the worst possible thing you could be in my eyes - even worse than an outright bad singer. The breathy, Nick Drake-esque sound frustrates me, too. The instrumentals are kind of cool. There's nothing in here which really sticks out to me, but they're greatly improved over the offerings from Either/Or. Many of these tracks are lively with and some nice electric guitar embellishments and a decent sampling of instruments/genres. Much of it does boil down to idle acoustic guitar strumming, however. Overall, while there's some decent aspects of this album which would probably work coming from an artist that I liked, much of this failed to resonate with me. Book time. Released after a period of hardship. Got an Oscar nomination for appearing on the Good Will Hunting soundtrack. Got picked up by the Dreamworks label, resulting in better production and mastering. "In the Lost and Found" was performed on the piano Paul McCartney used to play Penny Lane. That tidbit isn't influencing my evaluation of this album in any way - I just like neat trivia like that. Not that I really needed convincing, anyways. People still mourn this guy's death and he was pretty influential within 90s alternative music from what I recall. If he had lived a little longer, I think this guy could have wrenched out a third list album, though from my relatively uniformed perspective two Elliott Smith albums seems to be the perfect number for this list. I cosign this inclusion.
I mean, it’s pleasant enough but ultimately I found this quite boring. After a full listen I went back to 1 track ‘Everything Means Nothing To Me’ which I did enjoy, think it was the repetition of the chorus that I quite liked…
*2000. Chamber pop (which apparently means pop music that combines like orchestral and classic instruments like strings, horns, and piano, to make it a more complex sound) *I had never listened to Elliott Smith before - this was soft and pretty, and the classic instruments did make it sound really full and complex. *I wasn't much of a fan, but it sounded like if you know anything about music (I don't) then it's impressive. *Wouldn't be mad if someone played it, but wouldn't revisit on my own. RATING - 6/10
Emotional and sad indie/alt rock album. It’s a tough listen if you’re not in the mood to get in your feelings. But the music itself is ok enough, clear and catchy melancholy pop rock. Nothing here sticks out, though, and it’ll likely not be in my regular rotation. Reminds me of Good Will Hunting.
Unremarkable. Not too bad, but nothing stand out to me. I liked the piano on "In the lost and found".
Den første sang fangede mig, og jeg troede så lidt det ville være det samme resten af vejen. Men derefter føltes musikken for mig en kende kedelig og ramte mig ikke synderligt.
Truly nothing memorable. His voice wasn’t bad, sounded like a mix of George Harrison and other 60s singers. It was fine background music, and it wasn’t BAD.
I can see how people love this, but for life of me i can't connect with it. And I've tried, many times.
Dull as dishwater. Kept thinking about Ben Folds, Deathcab for Cutie, and Modest Mouse and how much better they sound.
Don’t get it. Average at best.
Okay but unremarkable.
Yeah not really for me
This is great musically but too depressing for me to listen to.
Surprisingly never heard of Elliott Smith. Quintessential hipster singer/songwriter stuff. It started out ok and started to grate on me by the end when it became whiny and repetitive. (2)
I never really liked the chamber pop trend that emerged in the early 2000s. Many of the artists and bands seemed to take inspiration from their idols and filter it into pop music that was formally competent but lacking in substance — essentially bland, nerdy imitations of Simon & Garfunkel, the Beach Boys, Beatles... etc. To me that's also the case with Elliot Smith...
I knew nothing about Elliott Smith prior to listening to this album. Got to about the half way mark and had to stop, I found myself annoyed and constantly thinking what else I could be listening to within my head. Incredibly annoying, what was described and haunting voice, was to me harrowing and whiney, like forced upper register vocals that just pissed me off. Not my music, at all.
otro hombre blanco
scott pilgrim vs. the world vibes. very early 2000s hipster. pretty average. wasn't blown away
First time listening to Elliott Smith, but unlike the other new singer/songwriters I found in this project, he didn't do much for me. The lyrics felt adolescent, the songs faily simplistic. I could not get into the album as I felt 'meh' throughout. Not for me.
I wanted to like it more than I did
I don't like being depressed but it's still good music.
Very forgettable
Fanns någon okej låt men inte min stil
Rösten var inte så fin, lite falsk och inte på ett snyggt sätt. Instrumental fanns det någonting att hämta i alla fall. Det når nog inte riktigt upp till en trea tyvärr.
de e lite för emo för mig
Sad. Quiet. They all kind of sound the same after a while....
Never heard of this guy until today, and there’s a reason for that. Vapid, uninteresting and boring. For a while now I feel I’ve been too generous in giving albums 2 star ratings because for what they are, they are ok, but just aren’t any of my business. And this is the case here. This album doesn’t really need to be anyone’s business.
Emo mess
I don't know if this is good or not. What I do know is that this is just not my kind of music. It's just a bit too boring and samesy. To each their own, I suppose.
Why was I under the impression this guy was around in the 70s or something? Anyway, meh.
The album is okay, it’s just not music I would normally listen to. A little too slow. 2.5/5 Probably won’t listen again
I don't dislike It, but there is no song on this album that stood out to me. So overall, a very meh listening experience.
not my thing
Fairly pleasant, but don't think I'll listen again
if this were maybe half as long it might've been a three from me, but this is sixteen tracks of increasingly monotonous depressive indie rock. i had a headache by the end of it and feel like i just existed a fugue state. it starts okay with the most early 2000s sad guy mid-budget drama film opening montage type shit i've ever heard, but it really doesn't go anywhere from there. maybe it should've gone to get some estrogen, i don't know. i find elliott smith's singing to be deeply tiresome. the whisper softness and the way it's processed in particular very quickly started making my eye twitch.
GRIS
This has Atanarjuat vibes. You know that movie where they show birds circling randomly in the air for minutes on end for no apparent reason? All these songs sound the same the first time you listen and still sound the same the third and fourth times as well. Interestingly (?) Elliott Smith said about the album title that he found something fascinating about the idea of figure 8s, trying to make something simple and repetitive as beautiful as possible. Perhaps try a metaphorical 9 or a 4 or something Elliott?
37. ok
A few lovely songs but the album didn’t grip me.
I read Smith was known for his "whispery, spider-web thin" vocals. What I heard was nasal and breathy, and just couldn't get past how much they annoyed me. The music was alright, but the vocals. . . just couldn't enjoy it.
A few songs are a bit slow and sad but ig the point of the album is his problems there’s lots of indie albums like this so it’s not very original.
below average
Bit basic didn’t ever grab me with a melody or lyrics , felt tired
every elliott smith song sounds the same
Feels like I’m watching Gossip Girl
So I'm notionally aware of this artist - I've read that artists I like follow him. I'm also a sucker for sad/depressing topic songs likely owing to growing up with the Smiths and the Cure. In both regards, I might expect being a huge fan of this album and yet... This album just doesn't click for me. Maybe I'm not in the mood; like I wasn't able to pay close attention to the lyrics? I gave it 2 solid listens. The soft/breathy style of singing bugs. I didn't favorite a single one. So much hope...just not there today. 2/5
Elliott Smith and this album are new to me. I love the fact that the music on this album is pretty diverse. It's not the standard "singer/songwriter" stuff. I found myself tapping my toes while I was listening to a lot of it. I liked the album. Did I hear a song on it that I thought was amazing? No. Is it a memorable album for me? No. But I enjoyed listening to it. Just sort of average for me.
I wanted to love this because on paper Elliott Smith's music is just the kind of work I dig - sad, self-conscious and intelligent. But to be honest this was a mostly middling affair. I didn't like how he tried to be rockier with drums and orchestra. I prefer his earlier works which are quiter yet more intimate.
Unbelievably boring, getting a bit bored of listening to the same music by different artists. Meh.
Not my cup of tea. Singer Songwriter ish med Beatles vibes
Decent not my favorite but still enjoyed it
I have tried repeatedly to listen to this and his other records and I just can’t finish them. It’s good, it’s fine I’m just not here for it. It doesn’t mesh with me really at all, I’m not mad at it, I just can’t care. Not emo enough to draw me in there but not anything else enough for me to stay interested. Glad it’s there for people that like it.
More whiny and disjointed than "Either/Or". I plan to explore more of his work, but so far I gotta put him in the overrated category.
Lowk mid. It’s an okay album tiene decent melodies pero not my vibe.
OK as background music but not particularly memorable.
OK
okayyyy alternative / rock from the (early) 2000s is basically already a plus point • very calm but a bit boring / underwhelming I must say • I’m not a big fan of his voice • the instrumentals are overall very nice, it’s really just his voice that kind of ruins the song to some extent for me 💔
Det høres ut som Elliott Smith eide en Sgt. Pepper-jakke og likte å ha den på mens han var ulike steder i huset. Kanskje legge til seg en liten Liverpool-dialekt også? Jeg syns Beatles er et av verdens beste band, men om man låner for mye av dem blir det rett og slett dritkjedelig. Jeg tror Smith var patient zero for sukkersøte, kjedelige, Beatles-inspirerte singer/songwriter (til dømes Thom Hell her på bjerget). Det er en del finurlige detaljer i musikken som funker bra. Små riff her og der, og det funker litt, men jeg sliter med den hviskete stemmen Smith har gjennom plata. Jeg tror den låta som funker best er «In the Lost and Found» og det er vel en køddelåt. Jeg har skjønt at denne plata er noe annerledes enn de andre, så jeg lover å sjekke ut dem også for å være fair.
It's not a terrible album, but his vocal style is dated. Every song has layered vocals, and it gets tiring. Musically it's fine, but it's very indie. I probably won't seek it out any further.
some good songs and some annoying songs
I don’t know why Elliot Smith is so hard to get into.
Generic folk rock that I doubt will leave an impression beyond today.
Meh... Not really my cup of tea tbf. I can understand why some people enjoy it, but I don't really dig the singing. The first song was kinda nice, but from the second song on, it didn't really impress. Just not memorable enough imo
I suppose a 1001 album list is bound to have some...dubious selection?
Albumi on yhtä ankea kuin sen kansitaide, ei jatkoon millään muotoa
Favorite: can’t make a sound I like the album musically and lyrically. Never been a fan of Elliot smith’s vocals and I stand by it with this album. Second half of the album is better. Something melancholic in the background.
A bit too hippie dippy for me
Too whiny. Became annoying.
I apparently love folk, but couldn't figure out why I didn't like this album. So I looked it up. It might be because the artist is considered "indie folk". Most likely it's the indie I don't like? Does indie equate with whiny voice? Wow, people really like this guy. Just not for me I guess. Liked the song Can't Make a Sound
I really wanted to like this, but I just can't get into it. I think sometimes music just has to hit you on the right day to get across and stick with you. I like Good Will Hunting, I like this guy's voice, I like the instruments for the most part, it's just not something I think I'd return to. I know he has his diehard fans and how he died was tragic. I recognize the talent, it's just not something I want to listen to again.
Sad boy indie
Soms okee, soms erg zeikerig. 1.75
Possibly harsh but found it inconsistent and grating at times .
It’s pretty enough but really could only be good background music for me.
This entire album is nothing but the "AWWWWWWWW SAD WHITE GUY" drop from CVS Bangers. This is just the guy with an acoustic guitar at a party singing his original compositions nobody actually wants to hear. Not for me. I must be a different kind of sad white guy.
What am I supposed to... get out of this? It's just boring acoustics where some whiny white guy complains about things in an accent I can't understand. It's mumblerock more than indie.
Just too chill and boring. Nothing really caught my attention.
Eh
Meh.
sleepy
Uneventful
Immediate thought: Elliott Smith again ... how depressed was the team that made up this book? After listening though, it wasn't as bad as the other album. Still melancholy but not to the point of hopelessness.
Not very interested 2
Never really been an Elliott Smith fan. This sounds like an okay Beatles album to me.
Some of the most paint by numbers singer songwriter stuff I’ve ever heard.
But, like a strong 2.
No me ha gustado nada, un rollazo.
Nothing to dislike, but nothing to love.
not bad but boring
Well I listened . It's okay. Not much range.
Figure 8’s never really worked for me. After XO’s studio pop revelations and the lo-fi, late night darkness of Either/Or, Figure 8 feels a whole lot like a series of formalist, ill-fitting rock band exercises (which would continue in some respect on the unfinished follow-up). Which, to me, says Smith was running low on inspiration and was relying on standards for support. Of course, someone with his talent could do a great deal with that! It’s such a rock record after the quieter, chamber pop leanings of XO, which feels like a deliberate choice, exemplified by an early Figure 8 song, Stupidity Tries, which eschews XO’s warm acoustic guitar and piano for electric guitar, drums, Lennon-style nods, etc...it’s not a template exactly, but once it opens up it certainly provide a bridge. Even the song that feels closest to older Elliott, Somebody That I Used to Know, has a bright, rehearsed quality that contrasts with the muted, even muddled acoustics from the 90s.
You definitely get bullied if you enjoy this. Deservidely.
Album Art Review - pretty cool, pretty cool. Don't know Elliott Smith, but nice graphic art - simple, literal, good use of color highlight - 7.9/10 Album - kind singer/songwriter vibe - melodic, a little spacey, a little symphonic, a little Beatlesque to me, a little maybe 80s/90s retro sounding too.
Meh. Nothing special.
Another completely new one for me. Quite Beatles-esque. Nice and rocky in parts. Prefer the rocky tracks over the beatles-like piano ballads. Not a fan of the drum sound in this. They are lacklustre, flat, a bit muffled. Shame cause theres some nice drumming on this the fills/rolls (?) on everything means nothing to me are interesting for example. Its a good album. I’d add individual tracks into my playlist not rhe whole album - Son of sam, LA,
everything i want except for a voice i can stand.
I don’t get it
Elliott Smith nahm sein fünftes Studioalbum in mehreren Studios in den USA auf, unter anderem in den Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles. Smith war US-amerikanischer Singer-Songwriter und erweiterte mit diesem Album den eher reduzierten Sound seiner frühen Platten um komplexere Arrangements. Musikalisch bewegt sich Figure 8 zwischen Indie-Rock, Folk und Pop. Bekannte Stücke sind „Son of Sam“, „Junk Bond Trader“ und „I Better Be Quiet Now“. Die Produktion ist reicher instrumentiert als bei seinen Vorgängern, mit Klavier, Orgel und Streicherarrangements, bleibt aber dennoch von Smiths charakteristisch sanfter Stimme geprägt. Das Album zeigt sowohl seine Experimentierfreude als auch seine verletzliche Seite. Manche Songs wirken etwas ausladend, insgesamt aber vermittelt Figure 8 ein vielschichtiges Bild eines Künstlers, der sich weiterentwickeln wollte, ohne seine Wurzeln zu verlieren.
++: Son of Sam, Somebody That I Used to Know, In the Lost and Found (Hunk Beach)/The Rooster, Wouldn't Mama Be Proud?, Bye +: Junk Bond Trader, Stupidity Tries, Happiness/The Gondola Man, Pretty Mary K, I Better Be Quiet Now, Can't Make a Sound +-: L.A., Easy Way Out, Color Bars -: Everything Reminds Me of Her --: Everything Means Nothing to Me 5,1/10
He’s so sad
I'm really not into the wispy vocals. I can see how this was very influential to people like Bon Iver or Iron and Wine but it just didnt do it for me. None of the songs really drew me in.
Boring
that was sad.
It tries too hard to be sad/depressing and it fails, miserably. The music isn't that great either.
It's ok. It's music and it's calming music but that's about it
Nie wiem naszym stylu
Meh
Felt like it was an experimental album. Did not enjoy the vocalist, sounded like he was mumbling half the time. I did enjoy the piano that was featured in a couple of the songs.
Not my cuppa tea.
Meh, not my thing.
This sounds nice and the instrumentation is perfectly suited to the material. Very professional. No solo's so I'm thinking session artists rather than a regular backing band. This feels like more of a slow burn than an immediate-grab record. The hooks aren’t obvious; they may reveal themselves after a few listens. The vocals are restrained, and this imposes itself on the arrangements. That one word, restrained, really sums up the album. Like Paul McCartney and XTC in their most introspective works. No anger, no fire, just quiet introspection on personal self doubt, regret and fleeting moments of hope. Very nice but not for me.
It just didn't click for me. Found it fairly boring tbh.
this guy + album would have been a problem for me if i had been aware of them a decade+ ago. extremely perfect for looking out the rainy bus window from 2010-2012 imo. liked: la, pretty mary kay
Solid. Probably a 3, but kind of all tracks sound the same. Like Beatles x Simon and Garfunkel. Goes towards 2.
Not sure I love this one. 2 Stars
A poor man's Coldplay. Typical of the sad boy guitar of the era with no excitement. Yawn.
Nearly 3 star. Might listen again
Pretty but so slow
Second Elliott Smith album I've gotten and same reaction. I want to like his music, he's clearly talented but it's so f'ing boring. Every song is the same thing. By about the fifth or sixth song even he seems bored of it.
It is by no means bad, but the melancholy gets really boring really quick.
Really boring, his voice adds nothing and I'd say pretty generic?
These are perfectly fine songs but they sound like they fit on an indie romcom soundtrack from the early 00's more than anything else
While this album certainly is well executed in terms of music and production,it never seemed to get past sounding like a guy who made a Beatles record.
Tja
1.5
Mir etwas zu ruhig.
just okay
Decent, but nothing really stuck out as remarkable
I believe I've listened to part of this album many years ago after learning about Smith through a friend. This album is not Smiths best work which I believe is XO. Smith is an artist that meets many of my requirements as a great artist: he has a great voice, makes attempts to vary how his music sounds, and is an excellent writer. Maybe I am judging him too harshly but this album doesn't live up to his best work because in my opinion he doesn't do enough to meet my aforesaid requirements. This album does get better towards the middle but it's too late to overcome the overall blandness. Every song to that point sounds the same either in how he sings, subject matter, or musical.style.
Not my cuppa tea. 2*
Ok, if a bit forgettable.
Bit whiney and average, I dont feel richer for the experience
It was very good musically and songwriting-wise, but just took a lot of effort for me to get through. Felt a bit dreary and whiney. I think this would have resonated with me more at the time of release, but now, it just felt somber and dated. Unfortunate, as the album is good sonically.
Not my jive.
**an ok album, but boring, most tracks sound alike. No RAP, or hard rock, but very slow
I completely understand why he was beloved in the indie scene and continues to attract new fans, I can't help but feel like I missed the bus on Elliot Smith. His brand of sad and confessional chamber pop falls flat. However, the production on this record is great, especially when the drums and spaciousness of "Everything Means Nothing to Me". Overall, unimpressive, and I do not like his voice.
It was okay, kind of unremarkable kind of annoying
Nice voice, easy listening but not remotely memorable
that was boring 2/5
I like Phoebe Bridgers so I feel like I should like this, but I've never gotten the hype.
Bland, boring and banal. Ugh
Yawn
I really had a hard time listening to this entire album. this album, for me, just sounds so over-produced. every song is a series of slowed down chord progressions as he is VERY sad over all of them. its quite apparent that dude was really going through things, but i wasn't a huge fan of this sound.
Definitely a different tone compared to the emo album, Either/Or, we had of Elliott on the list before. Still, I’m failing to find any particularly interesting tunes that stand out. And I just can’t seem to get on terms with Elliott’s voice. It’s just way too much of a teenage voice to me somehow, even though that might not be Elliott’s persona. I can definitely see that this album, and Elliott in particular, is a matter of taste. Unfortunately I don’t enjoy it, so going to have to be a strong 2 for me.
Similar to evermore and Let it Bleed, I don't hate any of the songs, but I don't particularly like any of them
Interesting. This is sad white boy indie music that should be right in my wheelhouse but it just didn't click with me. I even listened to this twice just to make sure and I feel like I'm missing something. I might give this a few more listens just to see. 4/10
Nojookamaa. Menee taustalla
Ilmeisen taitava kaveri neppailemaan akustista ja kirjoittelemaan kappaleita. Mutta ei vaan aukene Sepultura jälkeen tämä. Not my cup of tea.