Figure 8

Elliott Smith – Figure 8 (2000) On Day 274, this record proved to be the kind of project that requires a very specific mood to truly hit. It is certainly a well-crafted, respectable piece of work with rich melodic layers and intricate arrangements, but it isn't an album you can simply throw on at any time. It has to catch you in the right contemplative headspace for its emotional weight and delicate songwriting to fully gel. Because of that undeniable atmospheric barrier, it lands as a decent listen for now, though one I have saved to revisit when the right mood strikes. A measured 3/5.

Just fine, some songs caught my attention but not enough to give me pause.

I hadn’t listened to Elliott Smith in years. I knew a couple of the tracks, but don’t recall ever hearing this album before. I enjoyed it. I forgot how much I enjoy his voice. A good listen, if not my favorite of his albums. 3.5/5

3.5-/5

Enjoyable. Forgettable. Maybe you have to know more of the backstory. Maybe I didn't listen to the lyrics well enough. Thing is great shouldn't' require that. I'll give it a 3/5 because it's pleasant enough, but not sure why it belongs here.

Really nice. Some precursor material for the 00s emo I was in to as a kid. There is some lovely songwriting. It almost lost favour for me due to my distaste for the "can't be bothered to sing" indie voice, which I sometimes really struggle with, but I think this delivery style is something a bit different. I definitely prefer it

This guy was a one man emo band without the screaming and heavy guitars, gotta say its pretty impressive.

Dá sa to počúvať, ale ničím má nezaujal...

Elliot Smith is someone I only knew for a few songs before this project, so diving into his albums has been something of a revelation. Figure 8 seems brighter and more-varied than Either/Or at first blush, but the lyrics feel darker and more introspective. Pairing "Everything Reminds Me Of Her" with "Everything Means Nothing To Me" is an almost-perfect expression of depression in titles alone. It's tough to pick a standout after two plays, but I think I liked every single song better the 2nd time -- the same way I felt about Either/Or. It might be "Colorbars," which stuffs plenty of interesting chords and key changes into its two minutes. I also really enjoyed "Wouldn't Mama Be Proud," even if it might be because it reminds me a lot of Guster's "Fa Fa." I think different songs will stand out the more times I play it -- a feature I often find in great albums with staying power. I genuinely think Elliot Smith could become one of my favorite artists due to this project -- I plan to get to know this album a lot better before trying anything else, but I can already comfortably award it a 5 right along with Either/Or.

★★½

Day 405 Liked this more than the last Elliott Smith album I had, definitely went in a little long. Highlight Everything reminds me of her Wouldn’t mama be proud

I've never taken the time to get to know Elliott Smith, so this is a great opportunity. His reputation is one of pretty sad songs but Figure 8 contains so much more than that. There's an undeniable undercurrent of sadness in this record but it also contains songs that roar and songs that whisper. It's all dirges. Throughout the record, Smith makes use of much of the emotional range available to a guitar: bright, chiming acoustic strumming, infectious runs between chords, crunchy electric work -- he knows his instrument and what it can contribute to song structures very well. There's very little playing for its own sake, much like his voice is only used when he has words to convey. It's restrained but it's never drudgery. It even seems to contain moments of contentment. I don't know if this is a masterpiece or not. It's not addictive in the way of a lot of 5-stars I've given out. Ratings aside, you should check this out. It sounds like a lot of things but it's rare for anyone's vision to be executed so finely.

When I was finishing school I found the band 'Teenage Fanclub' this album would have fit in well my discography as 15 year old, now it's just some nice (similar) sounding tracks.

A few nice songs, but too many anonymous tracks that just float by. The stretch after track 10 until the end is not the best

This album cuts deeply

Well composed but i just Cannot Care about a lot of this! Maybe 15 years ago I could have listened to a song called "Everything Reminds me of her" but i feel like age and internet exposure have just slammed that door shut. Further, it's just too long!!! It's a weird combo of lightweight, poppy and sad that just does not work on the epic, double-length album scale we're working with here.

i f****** (fucking) love elliott smith.

mr melancholy knows how to make a good song. i never really listened to an album of his in full, but its so obvious how much of a blueprint he was for so much music i know and love. highlights: son of sam la in the lost and found (honky bach)/the roost wouldnt mama be proud cant make a sound

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Either Or and scored it a 4/5 so was looking forward to this. Unfortunately was disappointed - the pop production takes the edge/ emotion of the songs and as result sound rather bland and forgettable. Best song is the opener Son of Sam and that's a 3/5 at best which means album as a whole is a 2.

Nothing bad, but nothing that really stands out either. Very middle of the road, feeling sensitive, singer-songwriter.

They gave Elliot some more instruments. It almost sounds like proto-Death Cab, which is cool. Still captures his classic cool, depressing sound, but it's a bit less raw than his earlier stuff.

as far as i'm concerned it's stylistically the same as the other elliott smith album, just with a slightly higher density of cool songs. favorite song is Everything Means Nothing To Me or Can't Make A Sound. Or Son Of Sam. soft 4

Rating: 8/10 Another great album in an incredible run by Elliott Smith. It's a long one with a lot of tracks, and feels pretty front-loaded. The front half is just filled with one amazing song after another. There are songs that rock so hard like L.A. and Stability Tries, they're such welcome tracks in the Elliott Smith canon of usual acoustic folk. Before Bye, Can't Make a Sound closes out the album beautifully.

A bit soft for me but not bad...

Its clever and fresh, espacially at the start of the record, I really loved it. Unfortunately, by the end I was left with the same feeling of too many songs, going different directions, and more is not always better ans they are a few dudes here, songs I dont like pr that dont fit. It's a shame, but the record and his impression on me will stay on

Nobody makes the word "fuck" sound prettier. Too soon. 4.5.

Tragic.

I like an Elliott Smith album, what can I say. The man was very sad and he made good music, but this isn't my favourite ES if I'm honest.

This was always my favourite Elliott Smith album as a yoot. I always liked how it had a bit more muscle and drive than the other stuff while maintaining its fragility. Still holds up pretty well I think, even if the deep deep melancholy doesn't hit quite so hard when you're not a hormonal lonely teen.

Nice melodies. Quite soft sounding but the arrangements keep it interesting.

i like some elliott smith songs but i prefer the more acoustic ones. overall this album doesn't do too much for me.

I want to like Smith more than I do. His style is very much in my ballpark but ... it just doesn't quite work for me. The breathy vocals make it had to discern the tragedy in the lyrics, and his midway arrangements between folk and rock have neither the beauty of the former nor the energy of the latter.

emotionally moving. sad boy music.

So late on this that I got the next Elliott Smith album lmao (#33). At least I've listened to it enough to get a pretty good grip on all the tracks. Definitely the easiest listen out of all of his albums. Probably doesn't stick with me more than either/or, but love the added instruments. Works really well. Real shame we didn't get to hear this develop. Probably would have made something that I loved. Though I do love this album. Very excited to revisit the other one to see which one I prefer. I think it will be very close. 9/10

Easy listening

Never head of Elliott Smith before but damn he is cool. Also, DAMN you can tell he was depressed during this album. Sad vibes throughout but thats a good things sometimes, maybe not when ur going through a break up tho 😬 L.A probs my favourite from the Album

This dude can write a goddamn sad song! Had me in all the feels for an hour straight. Wasn't totally hip to the amount of instrumentation he uses throughout - really loved the use of strings throughout. Highlights: L.A., Gondola Man

It was OK. Not someone I'd heard before, but quite good. I think I've forgotten all the songs already, but it had me bopping at the time.

I have one dear friend, who saw Elliott Smith live. I’ll be jealous the rest of my life.

Track By Track Son Of Sam - starting with his signature sound, which I still can’t put my finger on but it’s so distinctive. This is what I call one of his bigger kinds of songs, with full band rather than stripped back. Good piano and guitar happening. It has the acoustic vibe but also elements of rock and folk in there as well. Very unique blend Somebody That I Used To Know - a classic acoustic Elliott number. I have heard this a couple of times before. Very sweet melody. His use of harmony is so singular. Really unique and idiosyncratic. Sad, perhaps a little biting. It evokes such a specific feeling of melancholy, very slightly tinged with beauty and hope. Junk Bond Trader - quite an epic one with the orchestration. Got a good groove to it actually. Fairly upbeat for him. Everything Reminds Me of Her - I like the intro. Sets the scene very well. A wistful, sad one. It’s an emotional one. Lovely chord changes and little inflections in the guitar. Everything Means Nothing to Me - this is quite nice. It could be straight out of ‘Eternal Sunshine’ or a similar film. Builds well at the end. L.A. - this is the most rock one so far. Good riffs. Didn’t love the melodies as much. And it seems almost too noisy in a lot of this one. In The Lost and Found (Honky Bach)/ The Roost - I do really quite like the piano in this. Kind of charming. Apt title. I feel that this was quite Beatles inspired. / I like the echoey guitar ending for this interlude-like track. Stupidity Tries - nice chords again. It’s got a very grand ending that I’m very much into. Switching to minor chords and some passing chords employed to great effect. Easy Way Out - I really liked this. Particularly the lyrics, quite affecting and I could hear the personal/universal in them. It’s achingly sad and a bit like a diss track. Love the strings. It recalls Miss Misery to me. Color Bars - He’s painting with the piano simultaneously very loosely and precisely. I like the little fills. There are very familiar Elliott melodic motifs spun throughout this track and I’m here for it. Happiness/The Gondola Man - I think this was a single. Can see it. It’s got a good structure and that climbing and descending progression I’m a sucker for./ quite nice little outro or transition/interlude. Like a vignette. Pretty Mary Kay - kind of nice. The lyrics and chords are pleading almost. Not sure what else to say about this one. Better Be Quiet Now - sad, very personal. Very intimate this one. It’s very him. The guitar seems to float and meander through the song very nicely. Can’t Make A Sound - a good one for near the end of the album. The lyrics also sound personal and unique to him. Bye - An echo, like a whisper. Ghostly. Seems to reference the whole album as well as being totally original and stand-alone. Nice instrumental closer. Overall Review: I enjoyed this a little more than I thought I would. I know Elliott’s music fairly well but have never dived deep into his stuff. There is a lot of energy on this album, and a sort of eeked-out passion, like a strained kind of beauty trying to communicate itself. I also love when an album has enough variety and innovation to make it engaging and this album has that. It’s a very high 3 for me, verging on a 4. 3.9/5 Favourite Songs: Somebody That I Used To Know, In The Lost and Found (Honky Bach)/The Roost, Color Bars, Easy Way Out

Liked 1 song. Rest felt uninspired, not very creative, boring. His singing is weirdly performative.

The multi-tracked vocals make it sound like 70s folk, and I remember the style from him doing the Good Will Hunting soundtrack. Very melancholic, and a bit like Nick Drake. But gets a bit samey and downbeat if you listen to too much - which, at 16 songs, this unfortunately is.

I think I could get into this with a few more listens but the melancholy tone stops me warming to it immediately.

Dull.

Bara næs, en ekki eftirminnilegt.

I know people really like Elliott Smith but I just couldn’t get into it. Slow, boring just not for me.

wonder filled album

To say this is my least favorite Elliott Smith album released during his lifetime is to say how good all his other albums are.

Listed as folk punk, it sounds more like jangle pop to me. Pleasant enough, but a little bit low energy for my liking

It is currently real Sad Boy™️ hours

First time listening to this artist, sad to hear he passed away so young. I quite enjoyed this album, easy listening

Kind of frustrating how much better this could have been if the cord progressions were as good as Can't Make A Sound

Melodramatic and has a sense of eeriness with his cord choices and voice combination. Loved the outro to the album 4/5.

Genuinely good and the clear inspiration for many indie acts of the late aughts.

I think Smith is a great singer and the writing is really good, but this melancholy-type stuff usually just doesn't hit for me. Son of Same was definitely the peak right at the start. I'd come back for that and I think I can go with a 3 out of respect but otherwise this is a 1-and-done for me.

Favorite Song: Can’t Make A Sound Least Favorite: Everything Reminds Me Of Her

This was pretty good!! I liked the instrumentals and his voice had a good quality but could be a little monotone at times. The lyrics were pretty sad I think which is perfect for me. I could see myself liking this more with more listens as well I think bc I’m pretty tired rn and I don’t think I fully absorbed it. Like a 3.72/5

bitch-ass whiny cracker

Pop music for sad girlies and sad boyies. RIP.

ok

Veldig fin plate

Awful

Fine saker.

En del fine låter her, men blir altfor langdryg og kjedelig.

Hadde litt troen på denne, men var veldig lite her som var annet enn kjedelig.

Sarte saker, kanskje litt for spakt til tider. Men ingen er som Elliot.

Excellent vocals, interesting melodies and competent arrangement. Sometimes it gets a bit cloying (meaning annoying,) but strikes a good balance for the most part.

Meh

💿💉🧢☔️💊

i listened to this in anticipation but i can't say it lived up to the hype. definitely millennial time lapse music Would I listen again: no Deserves to be on this list: nope 2.5

First Listen; 4; Out of all the albums I've listened to so far, this one had the biggest jump in my opinion between the first and second listen. Delicate vocals without sounding wimpy or annoying, enough of an edge with the guitars on some songs to bring the energy up, but varies it with slower acoustic tracks. Favorite Track: Can't Make a Sound

No idea who this is. I like the intro to track one. Track two is my favorite so far. Track three feel like a “more of the same” kind of thing. I don’t hate it. It just might boring. I’ll see where this leads. Track 5 was great. If this were an 8-9 track album I’d have hope that I start really liking it. However at 16 tracks these better all be killer. Track 8 “stupidity tries” is another great song. It’s like I need a warm up. I like “easy way out” a lot too. “Happiness/Gondolaman” has such a nice bounce to it. Can’t believe I’m almost at the end of this. And still enjoying it. It was hit and miss in the beginning. This album really got good.

Sounds like badly drawn boy. Lots of songs sounded the same

**3/5** – I had listened to *Figure 8* years ago and remembered really liking it. I also remembered revisiting an Elliott Smith album later and finding it boring, but after hearing this again, it definitely wasn't this one. The first half is really strong. There's a lot more going on musically than I remembered, with full-band arrangements, piano, guitars and a melodic pop-rock sound that at times reminded me of Ben Folds. **“Son of Sam”** immediately pulled me in, and **“Junk Bond Trader”** was probably my favorite track. The biggest problem is simply that there's too much of it. **16 songs is a lot for me**, and somewhere in the second half I started feeling the length. There aren't necessarily a bunch of bad songs—I just think this would've been a much stronger album if about five tracks had been cut. **“Everything Reminds Me of Her”** would be one of my first choices to go. Still, I definitely like *Figure 8*. There's probably a great 10–12 song album hiding inside this very good 16-song one. **3 stars.**

siento que un libro de sally rooney suena como este disco.

sehr nice album gsi, danke website. sehr abwechsligsriich, recht smooth meistens. i wör es 5/5 geh, aber för das fehle mer, zumindest nach 2 mol lose, die ultra bangers

Too hard to explain. Another time, another time. 4am and wandering. Hesitation.

According to spotify this is his more polished work - just seemed a bit wishy-washy to me. Just had something indefinable missing.

Decent

It's alright in parts but overall a bit too downbeat for me. And too long imo. So overall it's not for me

I thought this was going to be sad, but I could not identify any sad.

Åh, äntligen nåt modernare. Behaglig lyssning

Solid 4.0. Favs: Son of Sam, Somebody that I Used to Know, Junk Bond Trader, Easy Way Out, Color Bars, Can't Make a Sound.

I've only ever known the name Elliot Smith from a Rick and Morty Episode. The songs are pretty accurate to the reference. But yeah, the songs are well written, just uninteresting.

This was a rather boring album.

Orrendo, l'unica canzone che ti fa sentire bene è l'ultima... perchè sai che è finito l'album. Ho creato una playlist per salvare le canzoni che mi piacciono di più degli album che consiglia questa app e l'ho chiamata "1001 brani"... a questo punto credo di cambiarla a "1000 brani". Deprimente.

One of the reasons I'm trying this project is to sample some different tastes and challenge myself to question if some of my all time favourites really are that great. Trying to have a more critical and objective eye this is still an absolute classic for me. Lots of almost obvious influences - Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel - that are mixed in with some subtle but interesting studio trickery. It exists in a weird space between extremely stripped down acoustic song and the fun of a big band and multi multi tracked vocals. Lots of lyrics to keep wondering about. It feels genuinely unique and hasn't dated. Just great, haunting songs.

4.5

Liked it.

Oh gosh one of my favorites. Not my favorite smith album though. Things I’ve never done, cars parked in the sun … I view as a love letter to LA. Visiting the mural in silver lake while visiting my best friend from college is one of my favorite memories

Nice album I never heard of before. That was worth a listen or two!

This was a lot better than I expected. I thought it was going to be super, super sad Elliott and this had some energy. Bigger sounds, more instruments, electricity, and all that. Something about him just sounds like growing up.

My least favorite of the studio albums and still so good?!

It was a good album, I feel slightly bad about giving it a 3. It's just for my own personal taste it goes in the middle. Stylistically reminds me of Eels.

elliott smith is in that small grouping of artists i like, but will never listen to without a reason. it was nice revisiting this, but you have to wonder if this hasn't just aged quite badly.

Elliott Smith’s music is beautiful, especially his guitar work. He was a greatly talented musician and song-writer. His voice isn’t strong enough to complement that IMO, relying on double-tracking for ballast. And it’s hard, after his suicide just three years later, to listen to these morose songs that chronicle his depression and alienation. I wonder how often we turn a blind eye to the pain artists are clearly communicating.

non il mio prefe suo 2.5

A classic.

Just beautiful

Perfect. Beautiful, his voice, the guitar, the melody. I don't think there's any way this could get better.

Previously unknown. I didn't find it interesting.

The label of "the sad guy" always kept me from really exploring Elliot Smith's catalogue. I always just assumed it was a depressed man with a guitar. His music is really rich though, and wasn't nearly as depressing as I've been lead to believe. There were a number of really great and rich songs on here!

Felt a little emo

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

had a high quality nap waking up to can't make a sound

Sure

top top top stuff. heartbreaking -- compounding, easily triple layers of heartbreak: the music itself plus my nostalgia plus the tragedy of elliott smith. all that aside, it's a beautiful perfect album. six stars. three hundred and six stars.

The album was fine? Nothing I hated, nothing I loved. Firmly in the middle, no takeaways or standouts for me. The album, to me, sounded older than it was? I was not expecting a 2000 release given how this sounded.

I liked this decently, but I have a feeling I'd like his other albums more. Now that I know more of his sound, I hear the influence in so much of the music I like.

how awful that he died so young, he must have had so many unwritten songs. 4/5

How can one album make you feel so many emotions? Every time I listen to Elliott I'm extremely impressed by his songwriting abilities, and this disc was no exception. Too many tracks made me feel things that I don't normally do on a weekly basis. Even with the slightly more upbeat tone than previous albums, Smith still manages to make me want to cry.

A gentle voice whose life was cut short way before his time. I've always had a soft spot for Smith's music, and I'm glad to have finally sat down to listen to a whole album rather than just selected tracks. Each song feels like you're in a dream, floating from one idea to the next in a rather fragmented way like vignettes. Simply beautiful. Thank you, Mr Smith. We miss you.

This didn't go chilled enough to be a great mellow album and wasn't dynamic enough otherwise.

Not his best album, and yet still 4 ⭐

Figure 8 is the most different sounding of Elliott Smith's five complete studio albums. On his first major label effort XO you could hear him benefit from a more expansive (/expensive) production and broader instrumental pallet. On Figure 8 he continues down this path but where the writing on XO was pretty much unchanged, the follow up is a big departure at points sounding far removed from a guy with a steel string guitar muttering into a microphone. In my opinion there is too much going on and while there are some great songs (some of his best!) across the opening tracks, it runs out of steam at about the halfway point. There is not the abundance of indie folk anthems that typified his previous three albums. At 52 minutes it's also easily his longest LP so the material feels stretched extra thin. Of course, this is not quite his last release as we have some archival material, but it’s a shame he didn't quite stick the landing with this final full album. Somebody That I Used To Know; Everything Reminds Me Of Her and Everything Means Nothing To Me are out and out classics though that no Elliott Smith playlist could do without and prove that he was an artist with plenty more fuel in the tank that should have had many more years in him.

Figure 8 seems like a strange place to begin with Elliott Smith, who i've been recommended many times but never jumped into It's some kind of 4 but took a while for the arrangements to start landing with me, I think I'd likely prefer his earlier stuff

2.4/5 - Started off as a 4+/5 during the first three songs, but rating quickly fell off at Everything Reminds Me of Her, which marked my realisation that there's only so much "moody acoustic" sound + lyrics of varying degrees of substance, or lack thereof, that I can take. (Terrible grammar within this here review, but not worth a rewrite). General notes [Positives: mood, vocals Negatives: some songs have sloppy lyrics, repetitive sound] Notes after finishing the album: Opinion has not changed.

2000 Indie pop rock, chamber pop (pop rock orquestal con voz chill/susurrada) No mi rollo de música pero la instrumentación es curiosa y se nota que es un álbum importante del género.

This was such a great album, and it’s heartbreaking that it was Elliott Smith’s last completed work before his death. I really wish we could’ve heard more from him. This album is a bit more polished than his earlier ones, with some tracks hitting a slightly heavier tone than his past material, but overall, it’s his classic chamber indie folk sound, full of those jangly guitars.

Fav song: Everything Means Nothing To Me

Not really my thing but it was okay.

The second album in this list of Elliott Smith and again I enjoyed listen to his music, not really outstanding but nice nonetheless

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.

Baustelle, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Halbwegs öde, wenn auch nicht schlecht.

I’m gay

This was a tough one - there are a few genuinely beautiful songs on this album and Elliott Smith's influence in the indie genre is undeniable - but much of the content feels draining. Like an energy vampire in musical form.

Muy interesante!

Hadn't heard of Elliott Smith before, so nice to listen to something new to me. Had to listen a couple of times to get into it, but second time really enjoyed it.

Great songwriting. Compelling performance. Excellent album. Too bad we lost him at such a young age.

I really liked this. Super easy listening.

Whiny

This reminds me of the time when Nora Jones-esque music was popular in cafes. It brought me the same type of vibes. Nice to have in the background, but not my kind of music. I would personally give this a 3.5.

not save

Very gentle album that allows the more powerful second half to punch through

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

cool sounds and progressions. Doesn't sound like bad songwriting either.

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.

If the Beach Boys were just one depressed nihilist.

Ok

I’d say the Opener is clearly influenced by “You sound like Louis berdette” by the whitlams except that goes against the flow of time, so maybe other way around.

pretty nice

This is pretty good. Like James Blunt but with more talent

Surprised by this one....

I really adored this record, it's stylistically quite cohesive but very easy to listen to all the way through. Really feels like orchestral 60s pop in places, which I didn't expect. It has an undercurrent of sadness with the vocals and lyrics, that really works with the musical direction it goes in. I think it would be an easy 4* but is elevated by: 1. Everything Means Nothing to Me - track that picks up in the second half with gorgeous strings and vocals. 2. Better be Quiet Now - folky track with exceptional vocals and writing 3. Can't Make a Sound - another track that has a huge shift in the second half with incredible instrumentation, reminds me of Illinois in a way I think with those three 10/10 tracks especially going into the second half the replayability is really high and I'll happily invest in a 5* as I reckon I'll be playing it again and again

I don’t mind Elliot Smith. But I’m not in love with him either. Maybe that’s the thing that bugs me about him: he’s fine, but I don’t really get why some people reeaallly LOVE him. Like, I get that we all like different things, but this is one of those cases where I don’t understand how rabid some folks get over Elliot Smith. He’s written a couple of pretty solid songs, none of which are on this record, but—at least for me—he hasn’t written a record that justifies his cult status. What I think has happened is that people came to Elliot Smith because of his untimely death. His “tortured poet” story is pretty compelling…but it doesn’t retroactively make his body of work brilliant, at least not for me. This record is decent, but not great. 7/10

Another really good Elliott Smith album. I don't think I liked this one quite as much as Either/Or (but then again that's probably his best album) but still certainly a nice listen.

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.

elliot smit goted

classic!! love this album

My favorite Elliott Smith album - still has the great songs, but I much prefer the band treatment with him rather than just the acoustic guitar/vocals

Very emotional and soft album, not really my favorite but there were a few good songs and he’s clearly talented

Near perfect, only thing holding me back is my love for pure folk elliott smith, but I think the orchestrations on this one are quite good all the same

Elliott, my beloved sad boy.

love elliott. rip

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

I really don't get it 😭😭😭 Always wanted to listen to him but this project just sounded really scattered in terms of its sound and has voice doesnt work for me

Unoffensive but very mid :P

Very well written with a kind of beautifully sad undertone. It isn't my usual kind of singer-songwriter music but I did very much enjoy it.

Kanske hans mest ambitiösa album! Många bra låtar men jag gillar mer när han håller det lo-fi och minimalistiskt

I would have preferred if it was Josh Pike, as I found this a bit bland.

4/5

L.A. and Everything Means Nothing To Me are my favs. Pretty chill album in my opinion.

Spennende og fint

A very melancholic sound throughout the album. Not to my personal taste, but I can't take away from the fact that Elliott Smith is a very talented singer. I appreciate the album for what it aimed to achieve and express, just not the sound for me.

Não muda tanto assim do Either/Or, que apesar de ser o mais famoso do artista, é bem mais melancólico e consequentemente, pra mim, mais fraco. Figure 8 tem algumas músicas mais animadas, é um disco mais clean eu diria. Ele é um ótimo músico, naquilo que se propõe a fazer, não da pra negar. Mesmo não sendo a minha vibe, eu reconheço seu valor. Um bom play, nada além disso, mas também nada descartável.

It’s a nice album and better than the previous Smith one. Son of Sam and Can’t Make A Sound were highlights of the album for me. But I just can’t quite build myself to really enjoy it, it’s just not the vibe for me but all in all a decent record.

Nothing special. Will get you through the day.

I like it

Good, fine, nothing to get excited about.

Hhg

Great album, loved it

I've never liked Elliott Smith much, not that I exactly dislike him. He just leaves me cold. His music has a lot in common with other music I like. There's something flat and unexpressive about his airy singing that almost prevents me from hearing him at all. As human beings our brains zero in on human voices so automatically it can be hard to tune them out when we want to concentrate on something else. For me at least Elliott Smith is the opposite: his voice is like the hum of tires on the road, a drone that is hard to pick out unless you really focus your attention on it. When I do, I can tell that he sings specific notes, with some dynamics and inflections, and occasionally variation in timbre but the overall effect is still flat. After hearing a few songs from Songs: Ohia over the last few years, I listened to Axxess & Ace straight through earlier this week. His voice is fairly plain and he doesn't do anything fancy with it, and he doesn't do the common vocal emotes that signal "I'm so sad" or "I'm bitter and angry" but the emotional immediacy is almost overwhelming. Smith has been compared to Nick Drake, but if Nick Drake was making soft noises to a squirrel in the middle of the night six houses down, I would wake up from a dead sleep to go see what the entrancing noise was. The music on this album is varied and well-crafted, but like his singing it lacks any sense of immediacy, presence, urgency, or strong emotion. I wasn't surprised to see that he played almost everything himself. While most albums aren't recorded live in the studio nowadays, there is something about playing off other people, even asynchronously, that gives a spark to a musician's performance. I noticed on Spotify that none of the top 10 most popular songs are from this album. I listened to a few and I noticed that some had simpler arrangements but with more complex fingerpicked guitar and often a bit more immediacy overall. Maybe the Beatles-esque baroque indie pop sound of this album is a critical favorite but not necessarily a fan favorite? I think the reviewer from Trouser Press had a similar reaction, describing it as "a record that feels very different from its predecessors.... brisk and busy, up front and confident, upbeat. While nothing here fails the consistent artistry of his work, neither does any of it make the direct connection to a soul and heart." Obviously some people get something more from this than I do. To some he's like a romantic poet, and I don't think it's simply how he dressed and how he died. I guess it is because they connected to the lyrics first and that prepares them to respond to the music? Anyway.... I've listened to this album three times today. The more I listened, the more I appreciated the music (but not his voice). I'm going to give it 3 stars even though in terms of my personal enjoyment it's probably closer to 2 stars. Also, the little Nutcracker bit at the end softened me up.

Elliot is clearly talented, and he was clearly troubled when making this album. Originally i thought it was going to be an album with more upbeat music and sadder lyrics, but it has morphed into relatively subdued music and sad lyrics. Very emo in that sense.

I do not like this guy. I do not like his voice.

Way more produced than his early stuff - but I still like it.

Figure 8 is the peak of Elliot Smith’s electric sound while not leaving behind his acoustic strengths. This album is what got me into Elliott Smith. I think when you hear the opening riff of “Junk Bond Trader” for the first time you realize you’ve stumbled onto something special. “Son Of Sam,” “Junk Bond Trader,” “LA,” “Stupidity Tries,” and more are excellent showcases of how Elliot’s electrical style that he started experimenting with on XO has reached full form. “Somebody That I Used To Know” has great finger picking similar to something that would’ve appeared on Self Titled or Roman Candle but this time becoming a pop hit. Figure 8 is also full of beautiful ballads including “Easy Way Out,” “Happiness,” and “Better Be Quiet Now.” I think ballads are one of Elliott’s greatest strengths. I also enjoy the instrumental add ons to this album “The Roost” and “The Gondola Man.” Finally “Can’t Make A Sound” is an incredible power ballad that starts off soft before ironically and fittingly building and growing into a massive swarm of different instruments and sounds. I think it’d be hard to make a case that this album is anything less than perfect. 5/5 Favorite Song: Junk Bond Trader

RATING: 8.5/10 HIGHLIGHT: LA LOWLIGHT: Pretty Mary K

Couldn’t listen to it all the way through just yet because I was working and it was a bit too sad :( especially knowing what happened. but beautiful music.

Perfectly middle of the road album. Musically and lyrically it’s ok, but the vocals are not for me. They seemed to lack any sort of feeling and energy. One time through was enough for me.

Definitely worth a listen

I got this album on Friday. On Monday I don't remember anything except like the music in the opening track. One review on Wikipedia stated the lyrics were like a teenagers diary, unfiltered and dramatic. It didn't leave any impression on me

Singer-Songwriter/Indie Pop Favorite Songs: Son of Sam, Junk Bond Trailer, L.A., Stupidity Tries, Wouldn’t Mama Be Proud Least Favorite Song: *Didn’t Record* So, this wasn’t the first Elliott Snith album that I’ve listened to, and that’s due to how I’ve first listened to Either/Or. Truth be told, I didn’t get that record. I might have to make a bunch of relistens in order to fully get behind the tracks on the album, but I don’t really see the appeal of it all just yet. So when I got to this album, while this might be more of me feeling like I might not fully understand the artist so far, this album seems a bit more appealing to me, and the worst part is I can’t articulate what it is that makes me draw more onto this album instead of Either/Or. Items something where I have to probably do a bit more research on in order to fully understand the artist in this case. 7/10, but I’m rating it 3 stars instead of the usual 4 that I do.

for some reason, despite me LOVING so many of his songs, i cant give Smith a 5/5 on any album

Like it 3/5

Man…. Elliott means so much to me. And has since he was even alive. Figure 8 isn’t his top album, though I’m sure I’ll see that one later in this, but it’s still an amazing collection of songs.

I don't know much about Elliott but I believe he committed suicide shortly after this was released. He did have a talent judging by this but obviously he had issues. It's a pity as I believe hhe would have become a larger force in music in later years. Another one gone too soon.

Je n'ai rien à dire sur cet album. Ce n'était pas nul du tout, au contraire, mais ça ne m'a pas non plus parlé.

So, he has some great sound, it's just not my style of music. I feel. Like he would actual be really good in a rock band.

Christ, that was boring.

4/10 - a bit of a drag, nothing of note

Favorites: In The Lost And Found Somebody That I Used To Know Better Be Quiet Now* *#1

Smith takes an idea and runs with it like a policeman directing traffic. Or he might be the hitchhiker you recognize as you pass. He just keeps adding touches that draw you in. These are complicated longings for something easily a mystery to him and by extension us. It is heartbreaking to hear "last night I was about to throw it all away" and "I don't feel afraid to die." He was also asking us to stay with him, and stay with him I will through these contained little pop gems.

I discovered XO upon its release and thought it was fantastic. Then I went and saw Elliott Smith play live (Trocadero) and he was, I'm sorry to say, simply awful. It put his work in a different light, and while I admire the studio craft and his sad patina of hopelessness, it wears on me and I find I don't enjoy it beyond a song or two. This album is a shadow of XO. It sounds almost identical (if memory serves) and is simply not as strong a set of songs. I was considering a 2-star, though that seems unnecessarily harsh. This is a 3 I don't intend to revisit.

It's possible I was just too busy to really sink my teeth into this one, but although I enjoyed the sounds, I struggled to grab hold of anything. A song would come and go, and there'd be nothing left for me to think about.

I love this. Hard to hear Elliott without feeling such sadness

Love the guy but this was weaker then I remember

Good indie vibes… but didn’t stand out. 3.0

Really enjoyed this. Beautiful music, with enough variation to keep me interested throughout. Even the misery in the lyrics couldn’t put me off. Reminded me a lot of Ben Folds, who was apparently heavily influenced by Elliot Smith. 8/10 Most Excellent

I need at least one more listen before I can start to rate this. For now 4/5.

This album is lovely :) While Elliott Smith remains one of the ultimate wielders of the acoustic guitar, I think this album might be my favorite of his due to the frequent lack of it's inclusion. It's very fun getting to hear how good of a musician he is, not only on the guitar. The opening of Son of Samson being such a good ass example of his broad musical talent, especiaaaally that jaunty ass piano. I do love that the very next song reverts back to acoustic only. It feels like a compromise (a fucking fantastic one) to anyone who was looking forward to the melancholy plucking that made him renowned. I especially love his piano playing on this album, Everything Means Nothing To Me is a great song, bringing the same somber tone he usually does through a different medium. Though, I do think this album overstates it's self a bit. Many of the larger arraignments feel as if they don't distinguish themselves enough from the others. In those songs his vocals sound like they are leading the progression of the song, rather than the instruments. I'd say a good example of the opposite is Colorbars, a really great song that sounds as if the piano melody was written first and the rest of the song was built around it. As opposed to something like, Wouldn't Mama Be Proud, with most of the backing instruments doing nothing but make the tune feel cluttered. I use that one as an example, but unfortunately I feel a lot of the later songs on this album make me feel the same way. It sucks that this is one of his final albums, my favorite and least favorite parts of this album are the moments where he experiments with different sounds from his norm. Which, lemme be clear, the acoustic joints on this record are masterful. I simply yearn for a world where he could have reached a similar level of comfortability with less ethereal songs. 4/5 gone too soon man

YUHHHH 1st song: OKAY WE'RE STARTING STRONGGGG (soooo 2000s) 2nd: i thought it was a different somebody that I used to know (it was cute tho) 3rd: BETTER SELL IT WHILE U CAAAAAN 4th: i liked the guitar 5th: everything reminds him of her ig 6th: MKAYYYYY Okay I lost count but I definitely would give it a relisten

i liked it

I like the vibes not the guys voice

Not for me

too sad and boring for me

Dude the first half of this album is actually quite good!

Sad! In all seriousness he’s a good writer but it’s a bit much at times

I can’t do his voice for more than 2 songs in a row

Not my first Elliot Smith album, but it’s definitely more chill than the last one. Pretty spot on for a Sunday morning. Favourite track: Everything Means Nothing to Me

I've always wanted to listen to Figure 8 by Elliott Smith. Elliott Smith's life is such a sad story, and it's hard not to wonder what he might have gone on to create had he not died so young. His influence on singer-songwriters is still felt today, which made me even more curious to hear one of his most celebrated albums. Figure 8 is a beautiful record. It's melodic, thoughtful and full of understated emotion without ever feeling overdramatic. The songs are incredibly well crafted, with gorgeous arrangements and the sort of songwriting that reveals more with every listen. There's a warmth and calmness running through the album that makes it a pleasure to spend time with. What impressed me most was how effortlessly the melodies flow. The album has a rich, layered sound that feels bigger than much of Elliott Smith's earlier work, yet it never loses the intimacy that makes his music so special. His storytelling is excellent throughout, and there's a vulnerability in both his lyrics and his voice that makes the songs feel deeply personal. It is quite a long album, and there are a couple of moments where it could perhaps have been trimmed slightly, but that's a very minor criticism. Overall, I found it to be a beautifully written and performed album that I'll happily come back to. Favourite tracks: There are some wonderful songs here, particularly "Everything Reminds Me of Her", "Somebody That I Used to Know" and "Pretty Mary K". Least favourite tracks: Everything deserves its place, although if I was being really picky, the album could perhaps lose "Bye" without losing much overall. Album artwork: Great album cover. The famous Los Angeles mural is simple, colourful and has a really mod feel to it, which I love.

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

This is a great album if you're feeling deeply melancholic.

A bit sad

good for slow type as per my view. i liked 3-4 songs

Suena bien, pero no es la gran cosa.

surprisingly liked it

8/10

I dig! Songs kinda ran together a little bit, shall have to spend more time. Definitely enjoy the bigger production value over the more spare acoustic strumminess of his songs I've heard before. Oh "Happiness." So fickle and elusive. Better keep seeking.

I can never decide if I like Elliott Smith I don't like his breathy voice and the production is sometimes a little too lush and somehow his interesting chord progressions that sound like no one else always sound kinda the same as all his other interesting chord progressions that sound like no one else? But I don't know - it's great. Very particular feeling. I always wind up getting won over.

aaaa

Someone describes this as Dylan but then electric. I get that comparison, but that's not a merit for me as I don't like Dylans discography. It's a lot better than that though, even though I expected to dislike it. The "electric" parts really pulled the songs up a notch. The all around tone is bright, but somehow still sad in a way. I think the right word is poignant or if I wanna get even more woozy the japanese "Mono no ware". The feeling of saying goodbye to a friend you don't see often after spending a lot of time together or a breakup that also feels like a relief to finally be done. The fact that the artist apparently committe suicide makes this even more sad. I can imagine this feeling most likely pervaded his life, which is why it is reflected so strongly in his music. In this way the music is a great reflection of his soul, which I think is beautiful. If the record had less singer/songwriter/folk parts I'd perhaps even give this a 4/5 or 5/5, but as it stands I can't say enjoyed enough of the record to merit that. I have added some songs to my list however, which is why I rate it: 7.5/10

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

The album wasn't nearly as depressing as I expected based on Elliott Smith's Wikipedia page and the reviews I'd read beforehand. Son of Sam ended up being one of my favorite tracks—there's something about its opening riff that completely mesmerizes me. It reminded me a little of Oasis, with a touch of Jeff Buckley, and just like Buckley, Smith's death feels like a tremendous loss to the world of music. Figure 8 was a wonderful discovery. The heartfelt lyrics, combined with its beautiful instrumentation, made for a surprisingly warm and memorable listening experience.

This is the kind of album that I love. Nostalgic, full of acoustic guitars perfectly matched with the Elliot smith voice and feelings. So I loved it.

Good album

Melancholic peak.

This was my second album by this artist, having never even heard of him before this project. He is starting to grow on me.

Great album

This was a great choice for painting. Listened to it twice.

Some of it was boppy but some of it was a little too sad. I think the end of the album sort of just fizzled out.

sounds like the shins or the decemberists. not bad at all, a little boring but I could enjoy this on a road trip. also what a sad ending for this guy!

This felt like the Beach Boys but 30ish years in the future.

В целом прикольно, вайб ленона

Pleasantly surprised by his album. Too bad he offed himself at such a young age.

Easy listening and chill

I dont think Elliott Smith has ever made a bad song. This album was the final one released in his life time and it is incredibly clean, well produced, and each song stands on its own. Its doesn't really have a stand out hit like many of his other albums but i still think its a very worthwhile listen. it runs a little long but for a final album you cant complain. 4.0

Das Album kannte ich noch nicht, gefällt mir sehr gut. Höre mich jetzt mal durch alle seine Alben.

A fine last album for Elliott Smith, it's similar to his other work apart from different lyrical themes and isn't particularly stronger than them. Probably foreshadows the inevitable.

early smon and garfunkel with promise for more, sadly not realised

It was fine

It's a good album. Not my favorite type of music, but I could still listen to it any time.

I so very nearly loved this one. There's a lot to like, with the opener 'Son Of Sam' holding a lot of promise for the rest. Sadly it never quite took off and I think the reason is that the melodies and hooks just weren't compelling enough to grab me. I was also going to write that I couldn't highlight individual tracks, but I enjoyed 'Colorbars' and 'Happiness/The Gondola Man' towards the end

Hauntingly beautiful. I was so immersed in Everything Means Nothing to Me. Beautiful composition. Loved the guitar. Reminds me of the old tegan and Sara albums I used to love. Now I know this was probably a big inspiration. 4.5

That looks like a race track in France

A pop masterpiece by a great singer-songwriter, one that regrettably was taken too soon. While a bit more commercial than his earlier classic records, the pop forward style never undermines the tight songwriting.

Bien.

Funny one this. I really like the tunes but I could not get on at all with the guys voice, it is nasal and whiny. Shame really

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

Based on his reputation, I was expecting some soppy, miserable album with shit instruments that was only good because it was sad. However, I actually quite enjoyed this. I really like the design of the cover too. It’s simple but bold.

I kind of wish I had listened to this album later in my Elliott Smith journey, but not a bad album by any means. Starts off really strong, but kind of lost me by the end. It always takes me a second to get reacquainted with his vocals too, and I find myself having to consciously overlook my normal dislike of overly breathy vocals. Favorite tracks: Son Of Sam, Junk Bond Trader

Probablemente el mejor disco que escuché en mi vida.

어우 듣기 좋아

Impossible to listen to this without thinking about what could have been. It sounds just like the sort of transition album a lot of artists put out when they are shifting from one style to something decidedly different. He’s clearly feeling out the resources that are newly available to him after the success of XO. A lot of it comes off as cautious and hesitant, though there are several places where he seems finally able to lose himself in the music. RIP

Liked this better than the previous of his on the list. Still not an absolute love, but a good listen for sure. Im still waiting on the nirvana and sound garden and Pearl Jam picks. 3.5ish

Never listened to an ES record before, and I was pleasantly surprised. Hints of Nilsson throughout. Better than average! 3.5/5

A: Sufjan Stevens född 10 år tidigare men i Texas (+ inte lika gay eller deprimerad). Gillade mycket men skulle kanske ha fått variera lite mer. Gillade första låten "Son of Sam" och sen möjligtvis "Stupidity Tries" (orkar int dubbelkolla om det är rätt). 4/5 D: De e svårt o skriva domhär när nån annan är redan så klok och har så rätt, men jag tyckte att den var mycket lyckad och personlig. Variationen mellan låtarna var bra, men the bar is in hell hittills. Med tanke på hur mycket jag gillade den har jag typ inget att säga om den, vilket säger mycket om albumet. Kändes som typ Hot Rats utan all whimsy men tror att bara jag förstår detta. 4/5

Smith does depressing indie better than anyone but this record isn't his standout work

I love this guy

A not-so-short but sweet album.

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

(Decent to Strong 7/10) It's one that's going to have to sit with me more and grow as I offer it repeated listens, but for now it's a very nice indie rock and pop experience that for an Elliott Smith album, is very upbeat comparitively. Hearing him get kind of funky on "L.A." was certainly interesting haha.

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

This one felt a bit repetitive, but I like the cover of Because

shoutout byron bernstein

Some of these are for sure going on my liked songs!

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.

Goldisands hotel

this will be the 201 millionth time i've listened to this probably but this album means a lot to my life and I know it like the back of my hand masterpiece nothing compares miss you elliott

This was much better than I expected. Quite a few tracks here that will go on my main playlist. I was told this album was basically "depressed guy with guitar" (hello I know you're reading this) but I thought it was a but more than that. I was kind of expecting the only instrument to be guitar but I liked the wider mix which helped me enjoy this album. I was tossing up giving this a 4 or a 5 while listening, but on reflection I think it deserves a 5.

Super

Best Track - "Son Of Sam"

Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Son Of Sam, Somebody That I Used To Know There's a lot of sadness and pain on this album. Sucks that he's no longer on this earth. I think I liked this album a bit more than Either Or. Seems like there's more variety on the tracks.

It was ok. I kept waiting for a song to hook me and it never really happey

I need to listen to more of Elliott. Great songs. I really only know Needle In The Hay so was good to hear more.

I wanted to like this but I just found it a jarring. I think Elliot’s voice fits some songs but not others. Think this is a good album just not for me really.

This was alright, fairly interesting listening. I wasn't completely blown away but I enjoyed it all the same. Never heard of the guy

Beautiful album

I like some of the songs

No notes. I could listen to this album on repeat. I will listen to this album on repeat.

4.2/5

very good

This was boring as fuck.

Can't explain why, this album didn't grab me at first but I find these songs surprisingly relistenable, revealing more about themselves every time. Faves: Son Of Sam, Junk Bond Trader, L.A., Stupidity Tries, Easy Way Out

“NOW” Must artists be tortured souls in order to produce greatness? ~Just some dude with a stilted attitude that I learned from TV

everyone i know who listens to elliott smith has pretty great taste. i can't lie this is just what all modern day singer songwriters need to look up to

This is not my genre of music, as I have never been a big fan of singer-songwriter stuff, and it has that modern indie production sound that gets forgettable. However, it really isn't that bad, and I can see why someone would enjoy this sound, as with the right perspective, it can be a bit mystical. From a different perspective, this album could certainly feel boring.

it was ok

2,5 +

From 90s Cult Star to being rediscovered in the 2020s as the new singer-songwriter inspiration of choice. I love it.

Dull. Not fun or grand or exciting. Just meh. Not for me.

Distinctly Elliott Smith, but a bit less successful, for me, than both Either/Or and XO. Unusually, felt like things picked up towards the end of the album - really enjoyed some of those last tracks. 3.5*

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.

I cant remember anything about this

Nothing crazy. But it was good. 3.5/5