Figure 8

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

Good album

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.

В целом прикольно, вайб ленона

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

(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.

shoutout byron bernstein

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

Super

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.

Beautiful album

4.2/5

very good

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

Pretty pleasant, as albums on this list go

Enjoyed this quite a lot. Very 2000s but emotional and pretty and musically interesting

this album so good it makes me question if mama would be proud

i should record like this again

Really beautiful songs on here, some great acoustic guitar too

Figura maldita, muerte prematura, existencia torturada... todo esto ya lo vimos antes. Tiene talento, compone bien, sensible y transmite. No es precsiamente un refetente en estilo o belleza. No es Evan Dando ni Jeff Buckley. Aquí está especialmente inspirado y tuvo buenas críticas. Stupidity tires o LA me gustan mucho. Junk bond tradee también. Después de Either or (su obra maestra) y del éxito de XO, Elliot volvió a su tono intimista y delicado con Figue of 8 (la portada es icónica, el mural ahí sigue en LA). El Nick Drake de principios de siglo?

Ah this takes me back. As my angst levels have receded so has my Elliott Smith play time. Which is a shame. I can’t really separate the last three albums of his life (or the posthumous From a Basement…) but they’re all still really good. Whilst there’s a degree of sad boy with a guitar, there’s actually a lot of ambition and dynamism to these recordings, and he undoubtedly was a big influence on the next decade of indie music

Nice & chill.

This is the version of Elliott Smith I’ve always preferred.

Not as sad as I thought it would be. Some kind of indie, I guess?

Excellent album with some great arrangements. Definitely a Beatles and Beach Boys feel in the production on some of the . Sad that he was so troubled and was taken at such a young age. 4

If this is the only ES album on this list then they goofed. If there must be one, Either/Or is the one. What a sad and mysterious and abrupt and to a brilliant creative life. And will never know if he committed suicide or if he was murdered. Both seem highly implausible.

8/10 As far as Elliott Smith albums go it’s definitely not my favourite, but some really strong tracks on here as usual: Favourites: Son of Sam Everything Reminds Me of Her Everything Means Nothing To Me LA ⭐️ Better Be Quiet Now

Pretty good guitar-pop with keen production sheen. I prefer Elliot’s earlier acoustic/ indie folk stylings, though. (Is that cliche to say? Well, sometimes cliches are there for a reason!!!) 4.3 stars

friggin yes boi 4 1/2

hm huuuere schöni churzi songs. everything means nothing hani glaub kennt vo irgendwo?? fun. ich lieb easy way out meeega wie cooli chords und melodie und woooow.

FREU MIICH ohh es isch sehr vill rockiger als ich denkt han everything reminds me of her isch nüt megaa speziells aber sehr herzig er het eifach au so e warmi, herzigi stimm OHH everything means nothing to me isch megaa cool d drums sind megaa cool ok han chli abgschalte, finds immerno easy schön aber jooo ich weiiiiss nöd, es bizeli enttüscht bini und finds album z lang. also es sind mega schöni lieder aber iwie 40 min hetted au glanget he chum ich hanen gern

'I may talk in my sleep tonight / 'Cause I don't know what I am.' Simplified & energized by punk curtness, Elliott Smith is our best acoustic average - giving us much by way of little, poetry by way of brief hits of sincerity, he is, at his most impressive, tho not one of one, perhaps one of four or five, i.e., not totally but certainly unique. 'The spin of the earth impaled a silhouette / Of the sun on the steeple.' That he's S-A-D seems obvious enuf, but like his precursor Nick Drake, there's a sense of life & of exuberance, especially w/ Smith's power- & pop-driven guitar playing. +, the show-tune piano is a giddy touch ('In the Lost and Found'). It's the voice, however, that's both a weak link & an inevitability - a bit annoying, but necessary, but unavoidable.

I'm glad I read the blurb for this before listening because I think I would've been disappointed if I went in expecting a sad boy folk album. This is actually really varied and upbeat generally and it mostly works for me, much more so than the other Elliott Smith we did. Still some duds, like the honky tonk song, but I think I get it more now.

Rly liked, added a few to my playlists

Solid but not Elliott at his best. Feels to me like it trails off as it goes along, or at least I get a little less interested than I was at the start.

Really nice. Vibrant headphone space. Luscious arrangements. Not sure if this is Duncan Sheik doing a Garth Brooks incognito Chris Gaines act.

I like Elliot Smith, and have since I first heard him on the soundtrack to Good Will Hunting in the late 90s. In fact, I listened to a couple of his albums back to back a couple months ago (Either/Or and XO). I'm completely befuddled as to why I haven't listened to this album, and my surprise this album appears on the 1,001 list is equal to my previous befuddlement. I'm glad it's here, but I definitely wouldn't have guessed it would be. On to the music! This is very much within his style, but obviously stepping up the instrumentation and production game. Listening to him fully fleshed out is a real pleasure. Since I'm used to listened to the more stripped down Smith, this is novel and quite enjoyable. The strings in the background (for example) help with setting the melancholy feeling, and suck me further into the moody world he creates. I can't help but feel a quiet appreciation for sad feelings and hard times. Light creates shadow, and shadow provides all the texture of life. ⭐⭐⭐⭐.49999

Delicate melodies, brutal sadness, great songs. This one is a bit long, but I still love listening to Elliott.

I’m a somewhat recent convert! I’ve been listening to him more since an interview with… Sophie thatcher from Yellowjackets about one of his songs on song exploder (key change). And saw Mae perform at least one of his songs. His voice is hypnotizing. No skips. I think I may love his other albums a bit more, but I’ll be relistening. This album came out on New Year’s Day 2000, which is wild because I remember ringing in that new year; journaling, watching waiting for tonight by Jennifer Lopez at Times Square (?)… probably having mini hotdogs and watching Twister, who knows. Meanwhile this melancholy boy was out there and I had no idea

I had never given Mr. Smith a complete listen-through, and this afforded me the time and opportunity to fully appreciate his musicality and musicianship. Excellent album.

Pleasant melodies, harmonies and tasty instrumental accompaniments. The sadness and melancholy get lost in the pleasant music. That's not a bad thing.

Chamber pop with songs more fleshed out than the previous record on the list, Either/Or. Smith's style is intricate and complex melodies with multitracked vocals. The vocals are mixed higher this time, and it's more of a band feel with proper bass and drums, and varied instruments beyond just piano, guitar, and vocals. Reminds me a bit of Aimee Mann and Michael Penn only a little less quirky.

Gorgeous. Wondered why I had never heard of him. Googled him. 😢.

Pretty interesting chord progressions going on here. I can see this record growing on me a lot in the future.

Wow -- I somehow missed out on this gem back in 2000... But wow -- this is a really strong album. It's hard to pick favorites, but Wouldn't Mama Be Proud has been running through my head. I can hear this album's influence on upcoming favorite artists of mine like The Shins, Death Cab for Cutie and Ben Folds. When an artist like Elliott Smith passes away at a young age, they remain forever frozen at their peak... along with a tragic sense of what more they could have accomplished. He was definitely on an upward trajectory with this album.

The final album before his tragic passing, Figure 8 is grand, bright, yet also thoughtful. All the different ideas here lyrically and production-wise create a powerful release in every way. I immediately fell in love with this one. Looking forward to hearing more of Elliott’s work, even if I know that this has a different tone to much of his previous music. Pushing a 5. 2 listens Favorite Track: Can’t Make A Sound, Son Of Sam, Junk Bond Trader, In The Lost And Found, L.A., Wouldn’t Mama Be Proud

Beetles vibes. Easy listening

I’ve always meant to engage with Elliott Smith but missed out during my prime angsty teenage years, preferring to question my place in the world through Meteora and Hybrid Theory (Linkin Park). I really liked the sounds on this album. The contrast between the heavy lead and the jangly rhythm guitars on L.A. Smith’s vocal melodies shift pleasantly from haunting to beautiful in a way that the guitar or piano always complement well. I’d be curious to know how exotic his chord arrangements are, but I’m not a music theorist like that. It’s kind of mental this came out in 2000, was long before the Indie Wave fully crested. The influence of this album is sonically clear on Death Cab for Cutie, the Shins, and myriad other imitators. Loses a point because I’m not sure how much I’ll come back to listen to this but otherwise max points for the artistry.

only listened to either/or before. Really enjoyed!

Never heard this one somehow despite loving either or, definitely his heaviest musically though this doesn’t say much. Such a good songwriter, the definition of bittersweet, This album being no exception

Really solid album, lush arrangements and enough good songs to carry someone slower patches. It maybe doesn’t have a real stand out track that reaches the heights of Waltz #2 but there are no real low spots, even the less favoured tracks have a quality to them. 4.2

davidbowie-esque, love, sad, melancholic, really catches you, creates feeling

It was OK. It was all pretty good 👍, but some of it was eye-rottingly boring 😱😴. Overall, I would give it a 3.6/5!

I'm very close to giving this a 5-star, which is why I wish these reviews were out of 10 or I was allowed a half star, so this is probably a 4.5 star album for me. This is mainly due to the tracks in the middle that didn't stick out to me. Nothing was bad or loathsome, just not impressionable (I'd say track 4-6 run, but maybe that can be blamed on my mind drifting). My pre-conceived notions were gladly incorrect. While at times the song could be slow, they never felt like a drag. Great music to just have on to have music in the background of your daily doings. "Son Of Sam" was a great opener followed by "Somebody That I Used To Know," which can understandably be found on many playlists nowadays. The grooves were unexpectedly present on this album, most notably for me on "In The Lost And Found..." "Happiness/The Gondola Man" and "Better Be Quiet Now." My top tracks had to include "Pretty Mary Kay" where I found Elliott to be the most present in his voice in lyrics. However, the top song is "Can't Make A Sound" which used every inch of the 4 minutes it had. I always love songs that start quiet and then explode. This song almost made me give this album 5 stars, if only the album was a tad shorter (or my attention span could stretch a tad longer). "Bye" was an excellent closure and I'm always a fan and voucher for albums to include more instrumental tracks (WHEN USED WISELY) because they can end up being standouts, as seen on here.

Pretty beautiful. A lot more produced than I expected it to be, certainly not just straight ahead singer-songwriter stuff. Still, it's wonderful. Smith's voice can definitely get old after a while, but it's pretty great top to bottom.

This record was my introduction to Elliot Smith - I bought it on the back of the single Son of Sam back in 2000 and fell immediately under its spell. It remains a great album, as do all of his records, but they're all tinged with a genuine sadness, given what happened. For this reason, I don't listen to him as much as I probably should.

Great album full of melancholy and feeling. L.A. was my fav song and first listen of the album. Easy Way Out and Can't Make A Sound were my other highlights

Beautiful moving music.

Nice vibes

Good stuff

I liked it! I’m going to revisit him at some point

Quite pleasant to listen to. Some really lovely melodies in this album.

Honestly he’s pretty good

i get you phoebe bridgers

Not my favourite Elliott, but still damn good

Highlights: Son of Sam, Junk Bond Trader, Everything Means Nothing to Me, L.A, In the Lost and Found (Honky Bach) / The Roost, Stupidity Tries, Easy Way Out, Wouldn’t Mama Be Proud, Happiness / The Gondola Man, Can’t Make a Sound, Bye

Have I listened to this album before? No How familiar am I with this album? Unfamiliar How do I feel about this artist? I don’t know much about him Favorite song(s)? Son of Sam Overall Thoughts: Another complete unknown, but this one was a pleasant surprise. Kind of reminded me of Death Cab at times. Despite its at times upbeat tone, you can tell Elliot was really going through it. Sad that it was his last album. An artist I may revisit in the future.

AMO este album

Beautiful album, I need to listen to more Elliot Smith

This was much like the simon and garfunkel album, in that it was average for most of my first listen, but then by the end of the album and when it started over I just really got hooked some how. I really liked this album. 4.5

people calling this album boring are actually insane, this album has ear catching instrumentals and hooks and probably offers Smith’s cleanest production of his career. The only reason this album gets a 4 is because i know that Smith has better to offer.

I love Either/Or, so I was excited for this one. I will say that I didn’t enjoy it as much as Either/Or, but I also didn’t focus on it enough while I was listening to it, and I think I’ll relisten a couple times to help. I did like Son of Sam, Stupidity Tries, and others - just need to go back to really get familiar with the album.

I would have liked this in 2003 during my indie Shins era. Surprised I never heard it before.

8/10 bueno, pero nada especial. Canción destacada: Stupidity tries

Enjoyed

I’ve heard this one, a good one nonetheless!

I knew this album because of a House of Leaves video. Whatever scale/scales he uses are almost haunting and I love the sound. Favorites: Everything Means Nothing to Me (Already knew) Stupidity Tries Colorbars

good indie album

Elliott Smith’s ”Either/Or” album came up for me just two days later. What incredible progress this artist made! This album is the pure definition of nostalgia. I’d listen to it while smoking a cigarette out in a field, alongside Soundgarden and Nirvana. A solid piece of music. 8/10

All of ES discography is good, and this one has some bangers but honestly I'm not sure if it is a true 4?/? IDK man its a soft 4.

Really enjoyed it.

if i have to listen to white exuberance i can just go to arcade fire. if i wanna hear white agony i have sufjan. i'm coming around on it but. damn. unfortunately the second half rips. if bookends was a 4.1 this might be 3.9-4.2. can't believe someone outweezered Weezer. there will be more of his music if i were a betting woman.

C'est calme, le mec chante bien, joli style

Un bon album, le gars chante bien a des mélodies sympas toutes tristounes

ye

This is my second Elliot Smith album in 3 days. I enjoyed this. You can hear how much he has grown as an artist over the two albums. His music is still melancholic but the instrumentation is fuller.

Quite good....quite good indeed. Not my first listen of Elliott Smith, but my first listen of this album. I believe this was his last official release? I thought it was good, creatively poppy, folky guitar work, had a flow to it and every song kept me engaged and interested. Yet I was left with the realization that I was listening to the Deluxe Edition after I heard my favorite moment on the album- "Bye" into "Figure 8" Turns out "Bye" is the final track on the official release. Oh well.

I do like this album abit of a vibe , I am surprised I just heard of him via this

This one surprised me. I've never heard of him before and his music was really solid. Kind of like an updated Beatles sound with some more funky undertones. I actually think I'd come back and listen to him again. I think I might listen to his most popular songs and see if something jumps out at me. Solid 4, might have been a 5 if I gave it more time.

I really wanted to like this, but the more I listened the more it sounded the same. 3.5/5 for the emotion and use of unusual instruments for the time, but there's not much else there

weird but I kinda like it

Sad story about this guy

mmm yes

Really good actually. My personal favorite was "Wouldn't mama be proud" but there wasn't a track that I didn't enjoy to some degree. Definitely not a lot I'm going to listen to over and over again, but I enjoyed my time with this album and was happy to give it a go.

Liked it! A handful of songs I really didn’t care for, but what I liked I loved. Oddly enough the faster more upbeat songs were not my thing

I saw him on this tour and he was surprisingly great live. Compared to a couple of his other albums, there are a few tracks on here that don't totally grab me. Somebody That I Used to Know is a personal favorite of mine.

P 8

This album surprised me. I liked more songs than I thought I would. The deluxe version of this album not only had a Beatles cover, but also a Schoolhouse Rock cover. Wild. Overall, very sad and haunting vocals with soothing instrumentals.

lo ame, muy chill y muy nostálgico, me guarde un par, es un álbum muy reconfortante, gracias elliott smith, fuiste y serás grande.

I liked it more than the other Elliot Smith record I listened to

52# Love elliot smith and im excited to hear this

I didn't go in expecting to like this, especially hearing that he was Nick Drake adjacent who I think is just OK, but I ended up really enjoying it so that's a win I guess.

I've had several people recommend Elliot Smith to me, so I was expecting something great. I enjoyed this album overall - the instrumentation especially was beautiful. I wasn't the biggest fan of his voice but I do think it added to the mournful quality of the whole album

Only know a few songs by Elliot Smith from earlier. He has an easy recognizable voice, almost like there’s a filter put on it. To me it feels like it’s a bit limited in power and range. Still he has quite a few nice songs on this record. Best song: Son of Sam

Not something I would be able to listen to everyday, but I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this. Soft, vulnerable and unique

8/10 Best songs: Son of Sam, Junk Bond Trader, L.A., Can't Make a Sound I started getting into music right around the time of Elliot Smith's death, so I've always been aware of him but I never really dived into his oeuvre. Overall the album is a bit more rock than I was expecting, with some nice beats, but the emphasis is very clearly on his voice, lyrics, and guitar. There are absolute moments of genius on this album (the rising tension and climax of Can't Make a Sound are phenomenal, for instance), but some songs land a bit flat in comparison. Still, an excellent album, and one I see myself returning to in the future.

This is an Elliott Smith album, so the highs are goddamn high. 'Son of Sam' and 'L.A.' are both contenders for my favourite song of all time and there's many other wonderful moments. 'Happiness' and 'Can't Make a Sound' have an anthemic quality. 'Somebody that I Used To Know' and 'Everything Reminds Me of Her' could find a place in any coming of age film ever made. On 'Easy Way Out', the flow from verse -> prechorus -> chorus is so natural it's glorious. At this point of his career his songwriting has got so good, he's almost surpassed his own style. But, to be honest, the album suffers slightly for it. He's churning out songs and melodies which belong on tin pan alley, or in the great American songbook, but combined with the glitzy production it often feels disingenuous. It just doesn't really feel like an Elliott Smith album to me, which is why it is only four stars.

J'ai grave aimé ! Des bonnes instrus, un peu vibe Sufjan Stevens moins dépressif, c'est varié, c'était cool

Decent 4,5

8/10

Better than Coldplay

A very good album that sees some interesting expansion of Smith’s sound, with this probably his most tuneful. Son of Sam and Junk Bond Trader are the highlights of a strong first half that combine his emotional style with a more lively sound, with some folkier numbers still present. It gets a bit weaker towards the end, but still an excellent listen.

Elliott Smith’s untimely death is tragic not least because one gets the sense that he had barely started. This album definitely represents a sonic progression from his earlier work, though that’s not to say it’s necessarily better than his previous albums (I remain agnostic on that question). The sound is fuller, the arrangements more intricate/lush, with a palpable Beatles influence. Many tracks (‘Son of Sam’, ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’, ‘L.A.’, etc.) are brilliant, and several more are only slightly below that standard. Even the more ‘filler’ type tracks are pretty good. A very strong 4 stars.

So pleased to have this thrown up. Despite being a big fan at the time, I barely ever listen to Elliott tracks really. I think it's because there's not an obvious "I should throw on some Elliott Smith" occasion. It's not driving music, it's not chores music, it's not "impress people at my dinner party" music. It IS bloody good though.

Listening session: march 16th, while commuting to internship Listened to before: listened many times to a few songs before Thoughts: I really like Elliott Smith’s music and I’ve never actually listened to this album in its entirety. While I still think I prefer Either/Or, this album has a lot of great tracks Favourite tracks: Somebody That I Used To Know, L.A. & Better Be Quiet Now

Great record, but not my first choice when it comes to listening to Elliott Smith. That doesn't mean it's bad in any way.

Love me some Elliott Smith, but (limited "but") (a) I've never listened to a full album of his at one time and it's a bit much, and (b) not sure this is his best album. Easy Way Out is an all-time though - some of the meanest lyrics this side of Dylan at his nastiest.

Intressant! Lyssna mer, väldigt Beatleskt.

Freakin’ love Elliot Smith but maybe not every track on the album

Yes!!! I’m glad this one came up because I love Either/Or - it is incredible- but the first time o listened to Figure8 I didn’t love it. It let me down, so overproduced. The songs aren’t as great as E/O at their peaks but at second listen this is a far better album than I remembered. I wish he was still around. He was a tremendous songwriter and it’s a shame we had so little of him to hear. I’d probably say 6.5 or 7 out of 10 but I’m feeling like a 4/5 feels more right than a 3.

I really liked this one! I’ve heard a bunch about Elliott Smith, but I hadn’t heard more than one or two songs. It was really cool to hear how he influenced some of my favorite artists that make music today. Very cool!

I feel like I’ll like this album more as I listen to it more. It’s super melancholy, which normally can end up being boring if I’m in a good mood. But an album like this, despite being so sad, doesn’t rely solely on the sad vibes to be good. It’s also just really strong instrumentally and lyrically. The lines “I’ve got a long way to go / Getting further away” from “Better Be Quiet Now” is the kind of longing in lyrics which can easily stir up emotions in me. It really sucks he died so young. I feel like he could’ve made some incredible albums after this one, and it’s really a tragedy his life was cut so short. Favorite songs: “Son of Sam,” “Somebody That I Used To Know,” “Better Be Quiet Now,” and “Can’t Make A Sound”

sufjan core

I've heard the name Elliott Smith a number of times, so there was a certain degree of expectation awaiting this album. On the whole, it mostly lived up to the supposed hype, there's a certain way with words and simple delivery that makes for a very good album; one that will liekly grow on me even more.

One of a handful of "sad music for sad boys" albums that's actually pretty damn good. Great balance of softer chamber pop and louder, more straightforward indie rock. 8.5/10.

Lovely

Son of sam - 5 Somebody that i used to know - 4 Junk bond trader - 4 Everything reminds me of her - 3 Everything means nothing to me - 3 L.a. - 4 In the lost and found (honky bach)/the roost - 3 Stupidity tries - 4 Easy way out - 3 Wouldn't mama be proud? - 3 Color bars - 4 Happiness/the gondola man - 4 Pretty mary k - 4 I better be quiet now - 4 Can't make a sound - 4 Bye - 4

Bra! Smith känns ju igen av sin röst och musik som är lite åt det melankoliska hållet. Jag tycker om det. Det är fint och avslappnande. Jag har faktiskt aldrig lyssnat på detta album förut, vilket jag kan tycka är konstigt för jag gillar Elliott Smiths musik.

There was a time when I was obsessed with this album and I listened to it so many times. Elliot Smith is leagues ahead of any other songwriter. Very good album.

Stunning, i loved it

Beautiful music. Reminds me of Belle & Sebastian. That's a compliment.

Liked: Son Of Sam, Junk Bond Trader, In The Lost And Found, Colorbars, Stupidity Tries, Better Be Quiet Now, Everything Means Nothing To Me, Can't Make A Sound Added: Everything Means Nothing To Me, Can't Make A Sound

8/10

Beautifully depressing

A complicated blend of of storytelling through the filter of depression, sadness, and addiction. Though it's his highest charting record, Figure 8 is not my favorite of his discography. That being said, it's still a brilliant stroke of melancholic genius.

one of my all time favs

Mostly liked it. I'd forgotten how much I liked Son of Sam.

4.0 Quite enjoyed that. I tried getting into Elliott Smith a while back after loving Christian Brothers but both that album and Either/Or felt too slow/depressing to properly enjoy. This, however, had more going on. Started off very strong and slightly peters out in the middle, but overall it's a solid album. Definitely will be listening to it more.

My first Elliott Smith album and I'll say that I enjoyed this more than I expected to. There are the sensibilities of late '90s alternative rock scattered throughout this work, but there is also a deep appreciation for the singer-songwriters that laid the foundation for Smith. I will say, this wasn't as depressing as some other people told me Smith's work was, I've certainly heard more mournful releases from the likes of Sufjan; yet there was this tinge of melancholy strung out throughout the runtime. I think my favorite part of this release was the chord progression of Everything Means Nothing to Me, and the way the words "everything means nothing to me" serve as a refrain, especially leading to the build up in the back half of the song.

Sad man music, but with catchy melodies! Winner!

Perhaps the greatest “sad boy” songwriter of all time. Of his big three albums, this is actually the one I’ve spent the least time with, though I need to rectify that. I’ve always been partial to “Xo” which isn’t on the list. "Figure 8" feels like a marriage of the palettes of "Xo" and "Either/Or," and may be more accessible than both. It also has an iconic album cover. I admire Elliott Smith as a melodist, lyricist, and guitarist. His music makes me happy and sad at the same time. It's hard to explain why.

Really good.

Very Beetles Esq

Last May I did a deep dive on Elliott Smith, considering him an artist I would probably love but had never really got into before. At that time I gave the album a 4, but I think its very close on the 3.5-4 border for me. I listened again fully without checking what songs I listed as my favourite before, and perhaps surprisingly they came out very similar. On my first listen I liked "Everything Reminds Me of Her", but didn't highlight "In the Lost & Found.." All the rest matched up. I have always thought this album cover is a very poor representation of the personalness of Elliott's music. Compared to the clearly gritty Either/Or cover this one presents like its going to be a generic 2000s pop album. Even though that is mostly just the artwork doing the art a disservice, I think there is some truth in it. The production here is clean, the vocal delivery is clear and confident - in contrast to the very intimate whispered delivery of Either/Or, which for me is a huge part about what makes it special. Some of my favourite songs on Figure 8, such as Junk Bond Trader, are essentially pop songs. However I find that I don't really love any of the songs on this album as I do "Behind the Bars", "Speed Trials", or even "Independence Day". The former two at least are unmistakably Elliott Smith, most of the tracks on Figure 8 don't feel that way to me. That being said, I don't think there's a bad song on here, so it does have a very high floor. I could understand if this was your favourite album. Fave Songs: Son of Sam, Junk Bond Trader, L.A., In The Lost & Found (Honky Bach)/The Roost, Stupidity Tries, Wouldn't Mama Be Proud 3.75/5

If you need me, I'll be reciting 'everything means nothing to me' on repeat like a sad boi who got put in time out for the rest of the day. Elliott Smith reminds me of many, many other early/mid-2000s hipster indie bands, however: 1. Did he do it first? Maybe. 2. Did he do it justice? YES. 3. Is it derivative? Of course, but I ain't mad about it. "Everything Reminds Me of Herrrrrrrrr" - the pleading vocals, it pulls at my heart strings in the best way. Vocal harmonies and plinky piano on "The Lost and Found" and a couple other tracks reminds me of The Beatles.

Liked this a lot. Had never heard his music before.

The songs on Figure 8 may be simple but they are not straightforward. It's a beautiful album, but also a sombering and haunting one.

I've had this Elliot Smith poster since I was a teen and certainly connect with the themes of his music, but never his music. Hadn't heard this one and I really enjoyed it. It's simple and to the point but just inventive enough for me to find interesting at each song.

Fantastic listen. Had never heard any of Elliot smiths projects before this. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Could we not please thanks

Never listened to Elliott Smith before. Now that I have will explore more of his albums. Sad to read that he passed at a young age.

Really excited for this one, I love Elliott Smith !! SUCH a cute album. Lovely guitar. I lowkey adore this wth. Such an incredibly long album though. First half of the album is way better than the second half. Fav song is ‘L.A.’.

Was kinda distracted listening to this album, but from what I heard, sounded quite good.

The melodies and lyrics written by Elliott Smith on this album always make me feel lots of different emotions, whether it's sadness or happiness, his beautiful voice and the many notes he played don't fail to make my mind drift away to a place where these songs are all I think of.

Chill

Enjoyable yet melancholic album.

I'm kinda shocked at how much I liked this album. I've never really gotten into Elliott Smith and had pretty much written him off. Couldn't name a song by him. Apparently I listened to one of his albums last year, but it must not have left an impression. I think I'll actually come back to this one. Lots of Beatles influence throughout this album which is cool. A pleasantly surprised 4 stars here.

Very nice.

4,4999999949

Great album, felt very nostalgic and a lot of the newer artists I listen to are heavily influenced by his sound. Need to listen to more of his stuff

I really money this album, it was a interesting surprise to really enjoy the intimacy of the songs, when the main focus is on the vocals an the guitars, it felt cozy and comfortable to listen to it. I’ve never heard of Elliott Smith, so really interesting listening session.

I find this album really nice, the instrumental is wonderful, but for me it's kinda dull though... I aded only one song, dont't find another song cathcy enough for my playlist

Never heard before!

Très sympa

Wow!! I REALLY enjoyed this! The songwriting was good. His voice was great! Each song was interesting and had a lot going on. The whole album was varied and kept my attention. It was very Beatles-esque. Good stuff for the 2000's!

I like this! It does make me wonder why this made the list. It has less gravitas than other must-listen records. Very aligned with emo vibes of the time. Beautiful acoustic guitar and singing.

Reminds me so much of 2015. Used to listen to Between the Bars a lot in college and never listen to his other stuff. Loved the vibe

I'm a bit biased😅 Elliot Smith is always a pleasant listen The only issue I have with this album and the artist in general is the odd vocal production. It sounds oddly subdued and echoey and not in a good way

This was really good. Beautiful. Less sad/depressing than I was expecting. I’m not going to put it on my running playlist or anything, but I enjoyed it and will likely listen again. L.A. was a standout for me.

easy to listen to

Didn't expect to like this one as much as I did. Not as sad and gloomy as the other Elliott Smith stuff I've heard, but it's got enough to be distinctly him in my opinion. Good music.

Sehr schönes Ding. "L.A." ist ein riesiger Hit, und sonst ist das Album voller melodieverliebter, emotionaler und zarter Songs. Immer wieder sehr beatlesk, das gefällt mir richtig gut. Bin auf den Rest seiner Diskografie gespannt, die Alben davor sollen ja deutlich roher sein.

Haunting Melodic Vibe shifting, reflective

Stupidity ties, everything means nothing to me, can't make a sound, son of sam and some other sogs on this album are stupendous

A terribly sad quintisentially 2000s indie rock album that I've somehow never really heard before. I think this genre is very hard to get right enough for me to enjoy, but I really "enjoyed" this experience if that's what you can call the relationship people have to listening to this kind of music. You can really feel the creeping mellowed apathy of depression that I'm sure many people who have chronic depression can very much relate to, and I wrote all this BEFORE reading up on his life and the backstory behind much of his music.

An absolute king of melody, and this is one of his best. I resisted Elliott Smith for a while, writing him off for his amateurish vocals. Now, I’ve had a change of heart to the tune of: who gives a fuck, what’s coming out of his mouth and heart is solid gold. I don’t care what he sounds like! He’s always read to me as one of those artists who simply couldn’t stop writing music even if they tried. Even at his lowest, one of the only things he could do was create. Real good stuff right here. -Ruby Like Ruby, and for similar reasons, it took me a long time to get in to Elliot Smith. But now he’s one of my favorites. I prefer his earlier, more stripped down and acoustic stuff to this, but it is great fun to hear him rock out and it adds a new dimension to his sound. Love the Americana influence too — parts remind me of Tom Petty. —Noah

The contrast of the lyrics content and sound is initially quite jarring but in a good way? Sweet guy. It is a slightly repetitive-sounding album but I can put that aside

somehow I've gone 42 years without hearing or absorbing this dudes existence. I feel kinda like his slightly melancholic take on life as I think I've missed out on something. This is why I listen to the albums on here - to find this slightly angrier Ben Folds (which I dig). I enjoyed Son of Sam, L.A and Wouldnt Mama Be Proud

Vibes: 2 Instruments: 4 Production: 4 Emotional Value: 2 Storytelling: 4 AC: 0 Stand Outs: Son of Sam, Everything Means Nothing to Me Overall: 3.6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Don't really like his voice, but I enjoy the instruments and the repeated ideas throughout the album. Nice.

Not my favorite Elliott Smith album, in part due to the more produced sound, but it does have some of my songs by him.

Liked it was good

Had never heard of this man, but I enjoyed listening to this album. Pleasant singer-songwriter stuff with enough rock elements mixed in to keep my attention from wandering. Some really heartfelt songs, given extra meaning once you dig into his biography. The last 4 or 5 tracks on the album kinda fell apart, but the first 2/3 is really good stuff. This is a picture perfect 3.5/5, but since the rating system is dumb, I’ll be generous and give it a 4/5.

I enjoy the songs. But he really hit me with the nostalgia bat. Right across the noggin. I'll find a way to keep the title song, for certain. 3.5/5

Really good album. Stands up to time. Defines an era, or at least helped to mar an era.

super album, nisam ga slušala dugo i ne planiram u skorije vreme 🫶

elliott smith my goat

Dude’s got melodies for days on end

Given his brief career, only one Elliott Smith album should occupy space on this list. And that album should be either "Either/Or" or "XO". I thought everybody already knew that.

Dope

I feel this could be a 3.5 but Cant Make a Sound melody is so gorgeous in its melancholy I feel compeled to rate it 4

Son Of Sam, Son Of The Shining Path 1001 Albums Generator 201 (1/8/2025) Great indie pop. Very different from the other Elliott Smith album I've listened to (Either/Or). I love how high energy, yet baroque at times, this album is. I would argue it may be a bit overlong, but it's quite good. 4/5. Favs: Son Of Sam Somebody That I Used To Know Everything Means Nothing To Me Least Fav: Bye

Decent album, nothing major. Enjoyed it but some songs did bore me a little

A fun and catchy pop rock album from someone who should've had a longer career. There's an undercurrent of sadness buried beneath the upbeat music and that really strikes a chord.

I kind of consider myself a connoisseur of sad music, and Elliott Smith was very good at sad music. Although, I will say that I'm more familiar with his starker, more stripped down stuff, but I do know a couple of songs here. And I will also say, that Elliott Smith had a unique talent for making music that absolutely sucks the air out of a room, and that isn't something I get on Figure 8 so much. But, in turn, we get something different and interesting from Elliott Smith. I actually think this is his most positive (and probably most accessible) album. On a superficial level, the arrangements here are a lot bigger than on any of his other albums, which puts a little breathing room between Smith's presence and the audience. But, I do also think that a lot of these songs are his most hopeful. A lot of these songs end with an open book, a place to go, or a declaration that Smith will carry on. Admittedly, the fact that he tragically died by his own hand puts this hope in a certain light, but it *is* there nonetheless. And while I don't think this is my favorite Elliott Smith album, I do think that it remains unique in his discography. On a musical level, he sounds very comfortable in a full band sound, which kind of makes sense, given his Heatmiser days. But there is something really unique about his presence here. His distinct voice sounds *incredibly* small in this mix, and it kind of contributes to the bittersweet atmosphere. I will say I like the majority of songs here, but I will only mention Everything Means Nothing To Me in particular. If only because the drop into percussion on this song is *supernaturally* powerful. I don't know exactly why, but I have a visceral physical reaction to it. My only complaint with this album is that I could see some of the weaker songs being cut, but that's really it. Elliott Smith delivers something beautiful and strangely hopeful, and if incredibly stark singer songwriter isn't your cup of tea, this is probably Elliott Smith's most accessible. I do prefer some of his other projects, but Figure 8 is a unique statement in his discography.

Completely inspired by the beatles, very nice calming album, few interesting guitar riffs - would listen again!

so good

In the lost and found I liked this one! The piano reminded me the Humoresque. I looped this one 3 times today during this album😏

Elliott Smith's second album released in 2000 is incredibly satisfying to listen to. Smith's incredibly fitting lyricism and vocals combine greatly with the experimentative and involved instrumentals. The album is very diverse and isn't one note. Some of the songs I feel failed to fully grab my attention while I can still appreciate the themes Smith is going for. These involve love, loss, home and other relatable themes which I think he quite nicely gets across. I think I do prefer his first album but this is a worthy follow up. 7.5/10

Such a great album I hadn't listened to in so long. Easy to see why this is an influence on so many singer/songwriters. Great production and sound throughout, I got sucked in to listening and forgot to write anything until it was over.

Ahead of its time, Beatles-esque avant-garde music. This is probably where PANIC! At the Disco got the idea for Pretty. Odd.

Beautiful

Solid album

Très bel album. Je valide!

I was intrigued with the first Elliott Smith record that I listened to on this list some time ago, so I'm kind of looking forward to this one. "Figure 8" seems to have a tad more pep than "Either/Or", but the melancholic backdrop is still present, as expected. The songwriting is sharp here too, as Elliott Smith muses over both somber and power pop-like tones. It's a shame that his story ended the way it did, as I think he had an more of an impact on the indie singer-songwriter scene at the turn of the century than most people realize.

I think it could have been trimmed by a few songs - the middle-end lags a bit for me - but overall, I think the more fleshed-out production aids Elliott quite well. I am not against lo-fi by any means, this one just immediately impacted me more than the earlier records I've listened to. Interested to see how I feel after spending more time with it. 4/5

Every time I’ve ever listened to Elliot Smith, I’ve never been that fussed. This time however, didn’t feel like a chore and I actually got along with it. It’s sweet

Really liked this and will listen again. Beatles, Brian Wilson and Paul Simon influences picked up on first listen.

Banger after banger.

elliott klasicky peckozni, velmi prijemny album na prvni poslech me nejvic zaujaly L.A, in the lost and found, stupidity tries, happiness, ... album cover legendarni (e.s. navzdy budu mit spojenyho se ••• •••-)

GOOD ALBUM 8.75/10!!!!

Great album, with some standout tracks, but it ultimately lives in the shadows of Smith’s lofi legacy.

This was surprisingly good, I found myself hopping along to a fair few songs in the end!

So pretty.

While I prefer the more barebones orchestration on Smith’s earlier work, this album definitely hits the spot. everything means nothing to me x ad infinitum

Sad boys unite

3.8 Not as good as some of his other albums but still a very nice soundtrack for sad days. Also a good soundtrack to convert happy days into sad days.

I liked it!

Not the greatest Elliott Smith but still pretty dang good

cool instrumentals

fire lwk

I don't know Elliott Smith's work much at all. I'm pretty sure I've never heard anything off this album before. And that's a shame because I really enjoyed it.

Somehow, some way, Elliott Smith always had the uncanny ability to output some of the most soul-touching music ever with apparent ease. In the span of less than a decade he put out five of the most well-written and beautiful albums in the history of music, posthumously granting us a sixth on his way out. Figure 8 is the last record released while Smith was alive, and despite being arguably his most accessible, that by no means makes it any less vast. Not many artists can put together a 16-track album with no lulls throughout, but Figure 8, much like the rest of Smith's discography, delivers a world that never loses any momentum. It's hard to single out any tracks on this record in particular, but the opening 1-2-3 punch of Son of Sam, Somebody That I Used to Know, Junk Bond Trader should be taught in music schools. I'm a bit more partial to his songwriting on other albums, though it is still very good here I feel like there's a noticeable lack of tenderness on some tracks that defined albums like his Self Titled. The more pop/rock oriented sound could have something to do with that, but I do consider this one of his weaker records writing-wise. If anything though, that should be a testament to just how amazingly talented Smith was, that an album as beautiful as Figure 8 could rank near the bottom of his career. What a legend.

Lifetime of memories associated with this album. It's hard to not love it and hate it at the same time. 4/5

Ik houd van deze guy!! Ik luister wel veel naar een van zn andere albums, die vind ik wel leuker

Weer lekker in het gehoor liggende indiemuziek van deze knakker. Wat kan je verder van zeggen, het kabbelt relaxt voorbij, er is niet een bepaald nummer dat extra pakt. Dat zou je de man wel gunnen, of beter gezegd, gegund hebben.

Als ik terug ga zoeken in onze lijst op de naam "Elliott", dan kan het twee kanten op. Missy Elliott, de vrouwelijke variant van het stereotype kinderachtige rapper, die ik rijkelijk heb beloond met 1 ster. Of Elliott Smith, waar we al een eerder album van mochten beluisteren, dat ik de maximale score heb gegeven. Vergeleken met dat eerdere album, is dit album meer aangekleed met een band. Dat doet me denken aan een artiest als Dashboard Confessional, die solo is begonnen en me daarmee pakte (Swiss Army Romance en The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most). Maar na een paar albums akoestisch wil je als artiest ook wel eens wat anders en dan komt er een band bij kijken. Het is niet per se minder qua kwaliteit, de liedjes zijn nog steeds klein, maar doordat ze groter gebracht worden is de oorspronkelijke betovering ietwat weg. En dat is hier ook het geval. Er zitten nog steeds een paar schitterende nummers tussen, maar het geheel haalt het niet bij het vorige album. Al kan ik hier nog steeds een prima 4 voor geven.

Good stuff. I like that it packs a bit of a punch.

so fricken awesome I love Elliots voice and I love the song everything means nothing to me

I remember when I heard "Son of Sam" at Topher's step-uncles beach bodega and when he put the top down on Parker's mom's third husband's Kawasaki I felt something that was like being angry except with eye water. Then there was that summer me, G-Sludge, and the Carnegie twins did Serengeti mayflower mushrooms at camp Iszuzu under the infinity of the cosmos. We explored each others bodies to the tones of "Junk Bond Trader." You know, as much as I loved skeet shooting next to Lake Ayahuasca with Scooter, Beef, and Rutger St. Rudiger, while we fought off the designer drug hangover, I really just pine for those days with Tone, Stone, Nic, Dic, Tric, and Hic where we danced the night away on the shores of the Small Muddy to "Easy Way Out." My Dad let me borrow one of his speedboats and you know how Dic gets on the open water. Blasting "Stupidity Tries" with the Sunshine Scat Pack on that Malibu Tuesday always takes me back to frosh week at Bugle Boy collegiate. Hey do you guys sell rohypnol? Whoops! Text to speech! That won't hold up in court. Boys will be boys. Tricky Guy A+

I love this guy ! Great record

Good album, liked it more than the other ES album I listened to I think. The kind of album I think I should revisit but probably won't.

Wow, I really enjoyed this one. Deep cuts, very personal songwriting and the right amount of camp for this level of sentimentality. Production was lovely, vocals were lovely, chord progressions lovely. Like most of my favorite albums, every moment feels highly curated and intentionally placed. Every second taken advantage of. Tragic knowing this was the last project he released. I think this is an artist I will dig deep into. 4.4/5.

OVERALL THOUGHTS 4.25/5 Interesting to see Smith evolve his sound with more ambitious production and instrumentation! It felt a little bit less cohesive then Either/Or but I was surprised at how well his songwriting style and voice fit into the mix of everything. Despite the higher production value there were also some neat moments of experimentation which helped ground this project in the Elliott Smith Cinematic Universe (ESCU) STRAY THOUGHTS - Immediately more heavy, Elliott's voice still stands out and feels unique - The higher production almost sounds strange for him, don't hate it tho - "The Spin of the Earth impaled a silhouette" I should get a tumblr acnt - Drums on 'Everything Means Nothing To Me' are crazy - I feel like 'high production' is almost a disservice here, some neat experimental stuff happening all over the place - I thought taking crazy musical detours was a more recent emo thing but songs like 'Everything Means...' and 'In The Lost And Found' prove otherwise FAV TRACKS: Son of Sam, Somebody I Used To Know, Everything Reminds Me Of Her, In The Lost And Found, Can't Make A Sound LEAST FAV:

This one was very mellow, nothing exciting.

Love this album!! Possibly my favorite Elliott Smith album :)

A very talented songwriter; beautiful music and great arrangements with heartfelt lyrics. His voice sounds like he has/was going through some things - you could really feel his emotion.

Great album.

I love Elliott Smith. A while back, my dating profile had my most-listened to artists on there, and Elliott Smith was included. Multiple women asked if I was doing ok in life lmao.

Moody, chill, emotional in just the right amounts

Good album. I already had some of the tracks of various playlists but had never gone through the whole thing. The only knock is that i's possibly a bit same-y.

Good god this is sad. Think I might be more of a fan of his other stuff but this is obviously still classic sad boy stuff. Saved a song: N RYM: Y (#469)

Good album. Good melodies and I like the genre. This album is better for me than the last Elliott Smith album to which I listened. His voice is better in the mix here. Has some Beatles-y things going on, especially in the second half. Notables include Junk Bond Trader, LA, In the Lost and Found, Stupidity Tries, Easy Way Out, Happiness/The Gondola Man, Pretty Mary Kay, Better Be Quiet Now, Can’t Make A Sound.

lotta 4s i gotta say

No one weaves chords and melodies together into a such a resonant whole as Elliott, and while this mat not have the ethereal, gut-punching beauty of Either/Or or the harmonically brilliant, melancholic pop of XO, this is still a wonderful collection of songs.

Wow. Really only knew of him as a tragic figure, didn't expect this to be so catchy. The songs are lively and bouncy, but still a haunting quality to them.

Ohh, so this is why my high school friends were obsessed with Elliott Smith! Really likable indie music. Sad and catchy. Wanted to keep it on repeat all day. 4.5 stars; I could see this becoming a 5 if I spent more time with it.

Great fully fleshed pop rock album. Recorded partly at Abbey Road and it bears a McCartney baroque pop influence. His ambitions meet his realizations, especially in the schmaltzy piano songs. Great albums by suicide victims is a weird, grim genre. If you can divide this from his tragic trajectory, this album is a timeless classic. Otherwise , it will leave you scouring for clues as to what went wrong.

This album has a slightly poppier sound than “Either/Or,” the spare and haunting Elliott Smith album with which I am most familiar. It’s also much more lavish in its arrangements and production. It’s still really good, though. He’s a great songwriter, “Can’t Make a Sound” is a stunner and the album on the whole plays a little like The Beatles for the Prozac era. (I swear I wrote that last line before I read this album was recorded at Abbey Road or that many have evoked that comparison, please clap)

“Can’t make a sound” is such a classic. RiP Elliott.

I liked this more than I was expecting! It's really pretty solid stuff. A lot of the 2000s indie stuff has been surprisingly enjoyable each time, it's cool!

An excellent example of singer-songwriter music, with Elliott conveying his pain and desperation effectively through various different sounds and styles. Really great stuff. RIP Elliott.

All I knew about Elliot Smith previously was that he was extremely depressed, dealt with addiction, made very depressing music, etc. so this surprised me! I really enjoyed the album overall.

Exceeded expectations

4.5 LA brings it to a 5

4/5

Only heard a few of this guys songs- never a full album. Had no idea he was such a Beatles guy. He knows them inside and out. He definitely knows his way around a chord progression, as well. This album seems to alternate between acoustics numbers and full band songs with a lot of dynamic range. I like it. I’ll have to give this one another go when I have more capacity. I dig it. FOUR STARS

Oddly, of the aforementioned trifecta, Elliott Smith is one of the others that was on repeat during my formative years so serendipitous that this should crop up so soon after. That said, this particular album never grabbed me in the way that XO, either/or or his self titled albums did, possibly due to the slightly more polished nature of this one which loses the rawness of earlier work which often sounded like it was just recorded on a four track in a bedroom. The songwriting and lyricism is almost as good, but I don’t get the same emotional connection to this particular album as I did to previous output.

Wow how have I never heard of this guy? Lennonesque. Nice listen. Will listen again and seek more.

Very simple, clean production, good variety across the tracks. I don't know if it's going to enter my regular rotation - I'm honestly just not a big fan of Elliott Smith's voice - but it sorta feels like a rosetta stone for all the later indie bands I do listen to. Definitely deserves a more thorough listen later on.

Another four that could have been a five on a different day. This was another minor blind spot for me - I knew the reputation, and I knew a lot of artists I like a lot cited him as an inspiration, but I probably wouldn't have gotten to this without some kind of outside impetus. I can see the throughline from here to things like AFI, Abandoned Pools, Silversun Pickups, Beabadoobee, the glut of indie sad boys, and a bunch of other artists in entirely different genres. There's probably not a bad track on the album but Everything Means Nothing To Me just kind of breezes away, and Lost And Found (Honky Bach) makes an argument I'm receptive to. added to collection

I have this on CD but it's been ages since I've listened to it. I remember enjoying this and it was good to revisit it.

Quite enjoyable, not as minimalist as Either/Or that I had previously listened to a couple of time. Still haven't taken the time to go into the lyricism more deeply.

At first, I thought it would be a bit generic... but then I started listening to it in my car, and I felt a mix of nostalgia and peace that really touched me in a way. Needless to say, I listened to the album more than once. Therefore, it surprised me in a very positive way.

Subdued and solemn, it’s an understated but beautiful album. My favorite tracks were just him and mostly the guitar but the other instrumentals were interesting too; piano, synths, even horns at one point. Great production and performances; I really enjoyed this one.

I’d call this middling indie but it made me feel things

Damn, that’s great actually. I don’t like mellow, melancholic folk music. Still, Elliott Smith has an ability to make that kind of music not only bearable but even enjoyable for me. I liked Either / Or (which is probably his most acclaimed record), but I can’t say it stood out to me as something particularly notable. But the more pop-y approach this album took made it noticeably more fun for me. It just had so many catchy songs with satisfying vocals with detailed, multi-layered production more reminiscent of indie rock than folk, which I really liked. I can’t say this album blew me away, but it was a very pleasant and engaging listen nonetheless.

c'est l'album pref du papa alors forcement une bonne note >>> can't make a sound super, 4/5

So listening to this I just thought it was okay, but then the last few songs hit me like a goddamn truck. A unique artist that a lot of other artists still miss to this day and his melancholic lyrics and laid back singing is the reason for that. Some songs may sound over produced, and no his voice isn't the best for a few songs, but it's when it's more laid back in production and the voice sounds well that really makes this album haunting, especially knowing it was his last album before he died.

Nice

Tough start to the week, but I still love Elliot. Either/Or is probably my favorite album of his but “can’t make a sound” is a good cut too.

I'm not typically a singer songwriter guy but Elliott Smith just hits different. This album is so good, so quietly sad but uplifting at the same time. "Everything Means Nothing to Me" is such a unique song and will not leave my head today.

Overall, pretty easy listening. Not something I’d be upset to hear on a random playlist or on the radio.

Amazing album neverr was much of a fan but now I can appreciate his work better. Some bryan adams, don mclean, simon and garfunkle and a lot of really good inlfuences on his music

Great album

I’ve listened to a lot of sad white boy albums so far. This one might be my favorite. I don’t know if I compared Elliott Smith to Nick Drake in any of my previous reviews, but they had 2 very similar stories. Both of them involve young, insanely talented men who tragically lost their battles with depression. If you’re not in a good mood, it’s going to make you feel even worse listening to either of them most of the time, but sometimes that may be exactly what you need, if that makes any sense. This album still has all the patented sadness of an Elliott Smith album, but the production, implementation, vocals, instrumentation, energy and just overall mood is a lot happier and better as a whole somehow. I don’t really know how else to explain it. I really don’t, this one just made me a lot happier, it was full of energy and life, rather than just a wall of sadness. You feel me?? The opener, “Son of Sam” and “L.A.” are my favorite songs on this album. They’re absolutely killer and end up giving me hope, instead of just making me sad. The entire album as a whole kind of does that. Occasionally, some tracks won’t hit the same, some of it is a bit forgettable, but I honestly think I enjoyed this more than his much more popular album, Either/Or. Rest in peace buddy. Thank you for the killer album today. A very easy and very high 4 stars out of 5.

Lovely sadness.

Pretty good and solid album.

it wasa good, not all songs sounds the same so its refeshing. chill one and anyone can enjoy it.

I approached this album with some trepidation. I have never listened to Smith before, other than having watched Good Will Hunting before (I loved it but barely remember it, much less the music in the movie). Reading a bit made me concerned this would be a Nick Drake kind of record, which for me is not a compliment. As the album started I was really into it right away. Son of Sam is a great opener, and I was feeling pretty optimistic. Midway through, I was already thinking my opening statement for this review was going to be that I am now nine straight days of 4's and 5's. Towards the end (16 songs is a lot), I was feeling a bit fatigued, and the Nick Drake comparisons were beginning to feel more apropos. I do love me a depressing album, so it closed on a (very melancholy) high note for me. I believe I will make it to nine days in a row. But I think I could've given this a 5 star review if it had been edited down a bit more.

Enjoyed this album much more than I thought I was going to

sad boi hours

Не мій улюблений альбом Елліотта Сміта, але якщо враховувати що це один з найкращих музикантів евер для мене, то навіть figure 8 я менше ніж 4 не можу поставити. Але й не поставлю 5, бо що ж тоді ставити xo або either/or?

First half is amazing and 2nd half is great too but not as great. Ez 4.5. RIP

I really like this and I think it’s a little bit better than either/or 4.5/5

Haunting

Ficorr, inizia super bene

(83/100)

Pleasantly surprised by how good this was