Figure 8

la lecture automatique après l'album était très chouette.

71/100 pretty good, some of it gets a bit boring but a lot of it is really good

3/5

5.5/10 not my thing but can appreciate it for what it is I guess

It was good and I liked having it on but it didn't excite me all that much.

If you look up “Pretty Good” in the dictionary, this album comes up.

I didn’t hate this album it was easy to listen too but also I was listening while doing some work I don’t think I would sit down and intentionally listen to it .

A good album for a specific mood

I've never listened to this album (6). Too indiecore for my taste but well done, great melodies.

очень приятный, легкий несколько песен точно скачаю

His songwriting is very simple, direct but effective. Most of the songs sound the same but somehow I was not bored. I do think 16 songs were too much, he could have made a better shorter album, but I liked the album and it was easy to listen to it.

OK, not really interesting

I didn’t mind the album. It’s chill, it’s a vibe. I’m not sure if I’m a fan of the shifted, overdubbed vocals. But I appreciate the song writing

Was just ok

🫥

I knew the name but hadn’t really listened much. Now I’ve realized I really like “L.A.”.

Nice album by the late Elliott Smith where he takes his raw indie folk (a bit like Nick Drake) into the fuller production sound of a Beatles or Beach Boys, such was his like of that era. Good songwriter and this album definitely worth a listen as I hadn't heard it all before.

Poza Everything Means Nothing To Me nuda

More range and variety than I expected from someone known for general sad boy vibes. Moderately liked it, even if later i forget what it sounded like for the most part. A 3.5 for me- perfectly nice, did not make a major impact

Hit or miss on the songs off the album. The hits were Son of Sam and L.A. the misses which I didn’t take note of reminded me of some off Broadway musical score.

Hmm

A little too depressing…? Not my cup of tea but I don’t hate it

His most upbeat album???

My least favourite Elliott Smith album. But it's still an Elliott Smith album.

some nice songs i liked somebofy i used to know

For an album with 16 songs, I don’t really have a whole lot to say about it I liked it. I didn’t think it was anything amazing but there was definitely some good tracks scattered throughout (my favorite being Son of Sam) The first half was also better than the second half and maybe could’ve benefitted from reducing the tracklist by a couple of songs A solid album Favorites: None Honorable Mentions: Son of Sam, In the Lost and Found (Honky Bach)/The Roost

Kinda interesting… kinda sad and depressing. Overall, it’s a decent record

Liked it, but a bit dour in places unfortunately

The musical equivalent of Zack Braff. Very vanilla

It was just ok and incredibly forgettable. Highlights: Everything Means Nothing to Me

A decent album, and I enjoyed listening to it, but I wouldn’t reach for it again Fav songs: Son of Sam, Wouldn’t Mama Be Proud

Acoustic Beatles. Not memorable.

Not bad. Not bad. I get it. But its not exactly essential listening.

Pretty good 7/10

His story is tragic but I’m struggling to listen to the whole album.

3.5

I liked this album. Some duds - everything means nothing to me & in the lost and found. Both of which I thought were quite unsettling. 3/5

Good stuff, not my bag but enjoyable. I like that he can play just about every instrument to execute his vision.

Depressing but not in a bad way. Enjoyable but not memorable

Meh. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't tickling my music itch. Must hear before I die? Probably not. 3 stars for the nice harmonies and what not. At least it wasn't some prog rock garbage full of noises and sounds.

Not bad

gut gespielt, manchmal etwas eintönig.

Hasta ahora solo había escuchado los primeros álbumes de Elliott Smith. Esperaba algo parecido, pero la verdad es que este álbum ha sido una sorpresa: tiene una instrumentación mucho más rica, con cuerdas, acordeón, y sobre todo, un piano muy protagonista. En general, las composiciones son más complejas y animadas, y en ocasiones se puede intuir la influencia de los Beatles, sobre todo hacia la segunda mitad del álbum. Pero, tratándose de un álbum de Elliott Smith, hay que enfocarse en las letras. Y en este aspecto sí que poco ha cambiado. Su trasfondo sigue siendo melancólico, de mucha inseguridad, casi depresivo, lo que choca frontalmente con esa instrumentación tan colorida. Un aspecto que me ha gustado mucho es cómo la composición de muchos temas cambia repentinamente hacia el final de la canción, lo que refuerza la temática de inestabilidad personal. Y a esto hay que sumarle que este fue su último álbum antes de (supuestamente) suicidarse. Poesía desesperada con unos muy buenos acompañamientos musicales que merece buena nota. Sin embargo, me quedo con el sonido más tradicional e íntimo de sus primeros álbumes.

He wears his influences and shows who he would influence very clearly in this record, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Didn't hate it but in no rush for a second listen.

I love the vibe and the instruments throughout. I totally want it to be a country album. It definitely belongs in the early 2000s indie time capsule.

Ok

I've never really listened to Elliot Smith. This is pretty good stuff.

Elliott Smith on paper is an artist I should totally love. But I don’t. Weird

I was surprised at how much I liked it.

Listenable, sad story though

This is my perfered genre and reminds me of college so it has that nostolga factor that probably makes me like it more than I might otherwise. I do like XO and EIther/Or more than this album though. Favorite Track: Son of Sam 4

I need to spend more time with E. Smith. I enjoy his melancholy sound and have followed him on Spotify to revisit and learn more by him.

Deep lyrics and cool songs that linger for some time, but it feels complete.

Unknown artist for me but very listenable. Good album.

Not really sure how I feel about it… the album was more rock than the last Elliott Smith album I felt. Lyrics are very depressing and he’s so soft spoken it’s hard to understand them at times. Probably won’t seek out again. The opening track Son of Sam was my favorite.

3/5

Overall a nice album but there were not a lot of standout songs. Really nice voice backed by what sounds like a lot of sadness. Worth the listen and will probably give it another go sometime.

I can understand that an artist that wrote Either/Or and XO would eventually run out of ideas, on this album he does. It’s the same whispery vocals and wrist cutting lyrics but it seems to be seems sort of bland and repetitive.

3.5

Better than the last Elliott Smith album on this list. I find that is pleasant enough in that early 00's indie way.

I keep hearing Paul McCartney and Ben Folds Five. I don't think I'm supposed to.

Elliott Smith one of the og alternative indie artists known for that whispery vocal style was easy enough to listen to and certainly had undeniable instrumental talent. He captured a very PDX 90’s melancholy mood, which is when and where I first heard him. But overall this album didn’t entirely connect for me - commercially, maybe it was more dialed in but I had enjoyed the more intimate content and style of some of earlier work. Still, a few tracks instantly transport me back to my 19 year old self riding through SW PDX in my friend’s orange VW bus, en route to the river, watching the landscape blur past the window. I can still see my reflection and those words etched on the side mirror: “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.”

Very of-its-time early 2000s. Reminiscent of Ben Folds but not as interesting, the Shins but not as quirky, Jack Johnson but not as rich. I don't actively dislike it, but it's not what I'd choose to listen to. "Son of Sam" is the best track. "Pretty Mary Kay" wouldn't sound out of place on a Beatles album.

Meh

Lovely album

better than anticipated. the slow songs wore me down but the more uptempo stuff was pretty groovy

Kept listening for that "standout track" that never came. Fine music but no wow for me.

Idfk malko e stranen albuma, napomnq mi mnogo na Jeff buckley, no nqkoi pesni bqha straight out of jhariah Kitara = hubav album

To be honest, not very memorable. And he’s not doing much vocally. But understanding that he suffered from depression and died at age 34 from suicide, it hits slightly differently. At least arrangement and production are very good.

High 3, low-ish 4. First listen is tough for me when I only know one album by him and have listened to it alot. So it feels familiar but off form what I think about his music as. Still I enjoyed it and I trust on a relisten I’ll like it more as the lyrics stick more and more.

I’ve noted before that I never really got Elliot Smith. This was especially true with the last album we had which was “Either or”. I found that kind of boring. This album was a whole lot better. I enjoyed the fuller arrangement and the soft rock vibes. I get the feeling that if I found this album as a teen I would’ve loved it. A few songs I know from that time, and I still think “Everything Reminds Me of Her” is a good track. “Son of Sam” was a new one and memorable too. I genuinely enjoyed most of this album. It might be a bit on the soft side, and the vocal style is not for everyone. It feels like a good album to put on when driving. Strong 3 for now, maybe potential for more after some more listens.

Sweet, melancholic listen. This is definitely an album that will turn a moody day into an even more moody day. The songs I can say spoke to me the most are Everything Means Nothing To Me and Stupidity Tries. Other than that, I understand what Elliott Smith was going for, but I can't say I was surprised or blown away. This album was also a bit too soft for me, so I was definitely kinda bored throughout. The whole experience was about what I expected it to be, and I have to rate it about 3.3/5, as it was not bad by any means, just not really my cup of tea.

Was nice listening and good background music

It reminds me of Nick Drake if he made his musical journey during the 90s. I didn't love this majory happy go lucky style to a very sensitive person. While some songs were good, it felt forced and out of place. 5/10

Really liked a couple of songs, a bit slower than I was expecting. OK over all.

Elliott Smith is always being recommended to me and I never really feel here nor there about him. This album was fine, don’t know if I’d go out of my way but if it came on I’d probably feel neutral.

Listenable in the background

Too long

Heard of him but never listened before. Good stuff.

I liked this album far more than I expected, it's a fun time, but still not epic proportions to me 3.5

Before today I was unfamiliar with Elliott Smith's music. Sure, I was vaguely familiar with the name, in the same way that one might be vaguely familiar with the name(s) Copernicus, or Magellan. That is to say, one might recognise the name and understand that the person bearing the name did something that was, to some degree, important or memorable. Paradoxically this album seems neither important or memorable. It is bland in a blandly bland sort of way. It was inoffensive and I didn't want to perforate my own eardrums at any point. The most memorable thing about Elliott Smith might be his "suicide" - allegedly stabbing himself in the chest. So THAT'S how I knew the name. 3 stars. I didn't hate it.

But I looove Either/Or

It's like pop rock and folk rock shook hands and spit out Elliot Smith. Not bad.

Never heard of him or his prior band. Enjoyed some of the songs. It was a little long but might be worth another listen sometime.

Folk and rock, cool combo. Chill vibes 3

It’s like opening a handwritten letter and finding it’s mostly blank pages. The intention’s there, the ink is nice, but it doesn’t leave much behind. The songs are polished and tender, but I kept waiting for a little punch or tug, and it never really came. It’s OK, but doesn’t cut deep. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - Son Of Sam - Somebody That I Used To Know - Everything Reminds Me Of Her

Bland

dit vond ik beter dan ik verwachtte... wist dat hij een singer-songwriter was, maar kende niet echt songs van hem.. ook de iets meer ballade-achtige nummers konden mij wel ergens bekoren...

Meh

Cette liste est globalement une courbe de Gauss, et cet album est pile poil au sommet.

Went in with zero expectations, came out having enjoyed myself but now I think about it I can't remember a single song. Just vague memories of swoopy sounding verses and Beatles-esque singing.

= the Beatles This is different. Most of this list is bands from the 60s and into the 70s trying to be the Beatles, here's a guy in 2000 trying desperately to be the Beatles. Much like the Beatles, some of it is enjoyable

nice record but not really memorable, mostly generic. fav tracks: colorbars, everythng means nothing to me

Not sure what it is but something makes me resistant to Elliot Smith's music.. while I liked this album more than the last that came up, I still find it a little too melancholy and a bit of a buzzkill..

Tykkäsin! Taitavaa kitaransoitto, ja akustinen kitara oli tosi hienosti äänitetty.

Kiva ja monipuolinen levy! Kevyttä kuunneltavaa.

Previously rated: Either Or (2/5) ******************************* I didn't remember listening to this guy a year and a half ago, but looks like I did. At least I liked this album better. It had a couple of pretty decent songs (Son of Sam and L.A.) and a lot of samey Simon & Garfunkel sounding tunes.

Solid

fav: somebody that i used to know 3,5/5 ♾️

Good

Decent, but a little samey in places.

Álbum bem competente. TRI x HBB KAI.

Maybe it’s the shadow cast by his death or maybe it’s because the two Elliott Smith songs I know best are Waltz No 2 and Needle in the Hay (aka the one from the most intense scene in The Royal Tenenbaums) but I was expecting this to be bleak and instead it’s very Beatle-y. In some ways that was a relief but it’s also not that distinctive.

dosta dobro!

I'm familiar with the name, but not his music. It's pretty obvious he was extremely inspired by the Beatles for this stuff. I googled him to check if my suspicions were right, and they were. Also he was stabbed to death. That's terrible! I give it a 3/5

This is alright, I thought Elliott Smith was like a 90s Nick Drake and this was going to be the most miserable, wretched thing with the way people write about him. I wouldn't call it a happy album but it definitely isn't that either. Maybe his other stuff is like that I'm not keen on a lot of the creative choices. He has an objectively good voice but I'm not keen on the airy, breathy cadence he uses, feels like he's right in my ear and breathing down my neck The repeated vocal harmony on Everything Means Nothing to Me mostly spoils that song, I especially liked the drums but can't really get by the voice. I'm also not into the honky tonk piano on In The Lost And Found It's ok though. Could maybe grow on me Highlights: LA, Pretty Mary K

Pretty solid indie rock album. Immense respect for Elliot Smith playing pretty much every instrument on the album as well. Solid easy listening, more than a few fairly forgettable songs bloat the runtime a bit. Top tracks: Junk Bond Trailer, Everything Reminds Me Of Her, Happiness/The Gondola Man

Enjoyed

I liked this album. A few songs have a lot of nostalgia for me. I had the Son of Sam / Happiness single as my introduction (I know) to Elliot Smith and I feel like I loved it so much when I first got my hands on it. This album overall doesn't really hold up it's end of the bargain in light of that first taste, nor does it stand up to a lot of the great music he made before this album. It's a bit too far into the pop LA commercial rock area that it felt like he wanted to ease into. I don't know. Some of my favorite songs are on this album, but there's only ~3 of them and the rest don't get the job done. 3.25

I only have either/or so it was fun to listen to another Elliot Smith album 3/5 #musicsky #albumsky #musicchallenge

Ecoutable

C est simpa.

I'm generally not big on singer-songwriters, especially ones tagged as folk, so while I've known for years who Elliott Smith was I never had an urge to check him out. I was therefore pleasantly surprised to find that I liked several songs on here. The first half is really good. The back half blurred together for me though to the point I was ready to be done with it before it ended. Which is a bummer given the strong start. Maybe I'll give it another spin to see if it grows on me.

Since I'm not 17, this doesn't hit me the way it probably would. Elliott is obviously a talented musician and he set the stage for a lot of other bands I find irritatingly twee (why does this shit keep coming up in these reviews? It's obnoxious that I keep complaining about it but it's always there). Elliott has a gift that his imitators lack where his earnestness and musicality are personal rather than formalisms, which is nice, but it doesn't change the fact that I hear it as Music For Sad Teens And College Students. Really should be a 4, but I'm feeling mean about listening to depressing stuff on a sunny day when I feel good and it gets a little same-y by the end.

I definitely hear Sufan Stevens, at least his early stuff here. I can see where he drew inspiration. The first two tracks were great, and I thought there were some here and there that landed, but a lot seemed a forgettable. The lyrics are definitely tinged given his death around this time. Overall, if someone time me you'd was their favorite album, I would guess their second and third favorite artist is Conner Oberst and Sufjan. Love the earnestness and I think of i listened again the other tracks would grow on me. On a scale of -5 to 5, solid 3.

There's some strong material on this, but there's also a lot of bloat/filler tracks. It's not as chilling as his earlier work. Would say this is a high 3 star. Like 3.75

I don't really know how to feel, some parts are gorgeous and others kinda discordant. It feels like a breakup album at times, and hearing his history and mystery around his death makes this really feel like a breakup with life itself, with lines saying something like "I'm not aftaid to die anymore". Especially since the last song is titled "Bye". Eerie, yet beautiful. Struggled a lot with the lyrics feeling like nonsense, and a lot of moments early on that felt out of line with the song as a whole, but I love the dreamy atmosphere in some of these moments.

3 - decent inoffensive

it reminded me of death cab for cutie but was a little pitchier. A lot of it blended together but I could see myself liking this album when i was younger

for me, starts out slow, builds nicely in the middle, then falls off again at the end. Still a good album, I just prefer the higher energy middle

This is fine, but really "one-note". Was tired of the song structures by the end of the album.

I enjoyed it. 3.5/5

Listened on 3/20/23 3/5 Favorite song: son of sam The vibes of this album were a bit of a bummer but I did really enjoy some of the songs and the early 00s drama

Pretty darn sad album. I can understand the guy’s talent with both musicality and lyric-writing, but nothing is quite catchy or ear wormy enough for me to want to listen to something this depressing. I guess my favorite would be Somebody that I Used To Know since it’s a bit like Simon and Garfunkel.

Overall thoughts: Well it’s a depressing album, but it’s also haunting in an intriguing way. If I was making an indie horror/slasher movie I’d for sure use this album. Adding to the feeling is the lore behind his death. Figure 8 is straight out of American Horror Story Freakshow. Favorite songs: Son of Sam and Junk Bonder Trader I’d like to preface by saying that I wouldn’t listen to these ever, but I want them in a movie. They’re creepy and I like it.

I love sad boy music so I loved this lyrically, and I really enjoyed the diversity of styles amongst the songs. My biggest qualm is Elliot Smith’s voice…it’s just so boring

This one was hard to rate. I like the guitar playing more than the singing, but the singing is not too bad either. I would give it a 3 based on the great guitar playing, but a 2 based on the mediocre vocals. The whole package was pretty nicely put together, so I guess I'll go with the higher number. Best song: Junk Bond Trader

Nice album.

It’s unique and there are some great songs but I don’t know if I’d listen to it often. I’m glad I did give it a proper listen though.

I don’t think this album is Elliott Smith at his very best, but there are still plenty of moments that showcase him doing Elliott Smith things well, so it’s hard to complain. I just find his voice/melodies/chord progressions/lyrics very satisfying to listen to. It would benefit from being a 10- or 11-tracker though - I feel we’d be closer to ‘classic’ territory if some fat was trimmed. 3.5

Not my favorite but I appreciate the increased instrumentation

I didn’t finish sry

Done

Pretty good album.

The man was a hell of a musician, I'll give him that much. LA and both Everything's are great tracks. I just wish there was any depth at all. I keep thinking about how I see more emotional range out of Pete Davidson than I have on any Smith album. Such a waste of talent.

3/5

2000. Actually pretty enjoyable album, had some interesting chord progressions and chill sound. I would listen to it again. Elliot Smith unfortunately passed away early.

Just okay

Cool vibe but I didn’t get most of the songs lyrics lol

#558. Perfectly acceptable guitar pop. Nothing more, nothing less. A bit Beatles-ey at points. 3/5: fine

It was a decent listen. I previously listened to some of Smith's early work. The first song was a banger, reminding me of the Beatles. "Figure 8" got boring after the first half. Luckily, it wasn't bad at all. 3 stars for "Figure 8"

Elliott Smith is stuck in an unfortunate place. It isn't that he is particularly flawed or lacking. It is more to do with a certain saturation of similar music that puts him in the pack and not really at the front. It is not the worst trial to listen to by any means! In fact for some there may be some special quality in there that makes him have a fan club. It is simply that for me, his music is in that pile of "yeah, he is all right." which puts him in that unenviable middle ground.

Ok

Started out really excited about this album but lost the excitement after the the first few songs.

fell asleep halfway through and didn't really care enough to go back

Figure 8 is Smith’s most layers, complicated album. But it falls short of his earlier work. It’s a bit too long 6.7/10

I know people really like Elliott Smith, but this wasn't anything over the top for me. 3.5 Stars.

“Son of Sam” is a great kickoff track.

3 estrelas

Me parece a mí o esto suena a todo lo que es el rockpop nacional hoy? What? Igual lindo inicio, aburrido final. Nota: 2.5

Leuk, beetje Jeff buckley vibes

It's okay for the background.

I thought I’d like this more because a lot of my favourite artists sight Elliot smith as influence. Reminds me of the father John misty storytelling type but the songs aren’t that catchy so they leave my mind as soon as I hear them. I liked the vibe though, maybe needs some relistens

The tunes are gorgeous but the lyrics are so heavy.

Better than I expected, I liked a lot of songs on this album but I don't see myself playing it again

Pleasant.

It was ok. Background music really. Perfectly ok, but nothing that stands out.

3.5

If early 2000s hipster alternative had a soundtrack, this would be on it. Back when it dropped, everyone I knew who swore by it was pretentious as hell, which probably made me resist it more than I should have. That said, I can’t deny it’s a well-crafted album with plenty of solid moments. It’s a good listen from start to finish, but for me, it never quite reaches that next level of greatness.

Some pleasant songs

Interesting album. I’ve listened to Elliott Smith before but this was the first album of his I listened to from start to finish. I definitely didn’t love this album - I thought that a lot of the songs sounded the same. But I think there’s something interesting, sad and slightly unsettling about Elliott Smith’s music. The last track was a cool ending to the album. Overall like 6/10

These songs felt familiar, like I’ve known them my whole life. That said, Smith’s voice didn’t lend itself to this more up-beat music compared to “Either/Or.” And it shows in the streaming numbers.

I really like Elliott Smith but I don't think this is his best record. It's good, but compared to XO and Either/Or which is my favorite of his records, I feel like this one is just not quite there. I'm hoping one or both of those albums is on this list because I think more people need to hear that music. For this record, it's good but not great. His voice is amazing and the production is good but there's just something about it that is lacking compared to his earlier records. I would imagine that this one is on the list because it was the last one released before his death, but I hope there is another that really shows how brilliant he was. 3.5/5

Pretty solid album - more complex than expected.

i’m not the biggest fan of singer songwriter as it’s often too monotone for my taste but this actually had a little bit of orchestral variety so that’s good, still not something i’d feel like listening to other than the opening track which was brilliant, the third one was brilliant too, well x

I was expecting this to be a lot sadder, but I was surprised by some of his catchier songs. LA, In the Lost And Found, and Wouldn't Mama Be Proud stand out to me. A lot of the others didn't really stick, though that ending is a little haunting.

Enjoyed this

Kinda ok that

background music for a department store but still good

3 out of 5. A bit too light and soft.

This shit is depressing. Beautiful, haunting, sad.

Elliott Smith just makes me sad. Sometimes that's good, though.

Fine I guess

Bit depressing

Favorite track(s): Son of Sam, somebody that I used to know, everything means nothing to me Will I revisit?: middle priority Current rating: 7.5/10

Great, if you want to fall asleep and have sad dreams

Þessi plata var stútfull afofboðslega hugljúfum lögum sem myndu fúnkera mjög vel sem bakgrunnstónlist því það er ekkert á plötunni sem stendur eitthvað sérstaklega upp úr. Ég mun líklegast gleyma henni fljótt en hún er ekki slæm

This one grew on me the more I listened and the further it went. Very melancholic and one dimensional in places but engaging as well. In the right mood I might listen to this again.

Some nice tunes on here, but a bit one-tone and fails to really get going.

One of those ‘aware of but never listened to’ artists. I like his voice, delivery, the melodies are strong, and the general cut of this albums jib, kinda poppy with a slight psyche vibe. It’s up my street, but other than the opening track the songs themselves don’t really grab me much. Tbh, if you like this vibe, go listen to Ultimate Painting (1st and 3rd albums) instead, much stronger. While I’m not coming back to this, it’s got me intrigued to listen to some more, what sounds like darker earlier stuff…..

Heard it before. Not my favourite Elliott album, I think I prefer him without a band. But it's a nice album anyway. 3/5

Beautiful voice and songs.

Nice enough I listen to it twice. Going to save it for lounging at the cottage

7/10.

ES with a more sophisticated sound than earlier records, it's good melancholic music, though I still prefer his earlier work.

Good background

i was bored by most of the album but there were a few songs i genuinely liked. i tend to dislike this genre as a whole but this is certainly one of the better albums I've heard from it.

QUANTÈLLUNGOOOOOOO AOOOOOO

Good album. Listened to it in the background so didn’t give it the listen it likely deserves. Definitely seems like an album you gotta be in a certain mood for

3/5. I think Elliot Smith is a good artist but I always feel like I'm not getting it. He sings beautifully but because of these whispers, it is a little hard to stay connected to the lyrics. The instrumentation feels very full and is a good direction he took from previous albums, leaning more into the fuller sounds which do compliment his voice still. I don't think this one is for me but I wouldn't say it was bad, I can see the appeal, so it's middle score. Best Song: Son of Sam, Stupidity Tries, Easy Way Out

This soft rock album is pretty even in tone, and I can see it's strengths for the kind of people that like this stuff. It's a little whiny for me, too much high treble, and generally a perfect example of the kind of rock around in the late 90s/early 2000s. It's funny that this is the second album in this list I get, right after Lou Reed's Transformer. It seems like this is almost a spiritual successor to that album. That being said, it's probably less cheesy overall than Transformer, and maybe a better, more even-toned album. So overall, not for me, but I appreciate how some people may like this. It's well done for what it is. I could see myself sipping quiet tea listening to this at a coffee shop and not being totally annoyed.

This is clearly a very personal album, but not an easy listen. Knowing this was his final album, the lyrics are fairly self-explanatory. However, some of these tracks should have been left off the album because they weaken the overall package

Always a good listen.

Easy to listen to. Good musician and song writer. Nothing special.

72% Best: Junk Bond Trader; L.A.; Wouldn’t Mama Be Proud; Happiness Must-Hear? Nah

Surprised I never listened to this before. Not sure I like the more produced Elliot sound, but still some decent songs.

I found the style of vocals a little bit annoying. I know it supposed to be emotional and soft, but to me it sounded kinda whiny. Not a bad album but not something I would listen to again

Insuficiente

Gentle, dreamy, melodic folk/alt rock with that 90s sound. Really easy listen, but not something I'd come back to regularly. Decent record.

Elliott Smith was a bit too sad boi for my taste when this album came out. I’d heard a few of his songs and thought meh. So Figure 8 began with exactly what I expected, a little nasally but fine. It picked up some as it went on. The music is better than his voice though.

Easy listening indie

Pretty average early 2000s indie/singer songwriter music.

What a mixed bag. Some absolutely great stuff on here but also a lot of dull uninteresting stuff. Album also kinda runs out of steam.

I feel like Elliott Smith's contemporaries did this kind of music in a better way. like Alexi Murdoch or Joshua Radin or Ernie Halter. Thats not to say its bad, by any means, but it doesnt really stand out to me. Slightly depressing, but enjoyable enough.

This album was pleasant but overall left very little impact on me

Never heard this album before. Nothing obviously wrong with this but it isn't really that special either.

The album had pretty arrangements. His voice lacked something to make the songs resonate. Tragic life.

Elliott is clearly an artist. There's some interesting, artistic exploration here. That said, by the end of the album, I started to get weary of it. I think he would have been good to see live, and I enjoyed the songs, but not in bulk. Glad this was on our list though.

Had never heard of him before. Not horrible, but nothing really memorable either.

3+

It was alright

Meh, - I know he’s a big indy darling and all that but this was totally background to me. It’s okay enough to have pop up in a mix but I wouldn’t be seeking it out on its own. Somebody I used to know is all over all indy Spotify mixes, so I’ve heard that already a zillion times more than I want.

Woah this is like high production value Elliott Smith. I like his early stuff better but this is still nice.

I kind of understand why people who love Elliott Smith do now

What is it about slightly fae singer songwriters with a 60s vibe on this list? I really enjoyed this album from someone that I hadn’t previously heard of, then clicked through to Wikipedia to read more about them and found out that they had died tragically young in mysterious circumstances. Expect a lot of wistful songs about lost love and regrets here, and the second listen through was even more poignant in places. RIP Mr Smith.

Good indie rock, but the voice is the weakness here. It misses power, and it's a bit too dull. It's OK overall, but not really unforgettable.

It's okay.

Overall pretty good with some songs I'd go back to. Not quite enough to give it a 4 though.

Nice, cool listen with Son Of Sam and L.A being the coolest cuts. Gets a bit samey and loses its lustre later on. Lop off about 4 or 5 songs and you have a much cooler, nicer album. I have the Goyte song stuck in my head because of Track 2.

This is another artist that people get religious about. I like it just fine, but I'm not fanatical about it.

Not bad. Sam Smith has that pop/folk sound that is gentle on the ears. While only a few songs really stood out to me. It was an easy listening experience.

There were some songs on here I really liked. But it seemed very chaotic disorganized. I read the history around the album and maybe that makes sense. But I don’t think it’s something that I would come back to again.

This is not an artist I was familiar with and was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the album.

Good vibe but didn’t seem that special. Didn’t listen very carefully though

I've listened to X/O but never this one. He was a talented and troubled young man. A pop sheen over depressing lyrics. A good record

A great overall sound. Real craft

É um album legal, acho que eu daria mais uma chance para ele. Tem uma sonoridade bem legal. Gostei de Son of Sam, Everything Means Nothing To Me e Colorbars

Autobahn-Musik that I used to know, hahahaha Ne, kann man sich anhören, aber nichts wofür ich Geld ausgeben würde

Y’a des albums juste mid, je suis pas en train de dire que cet album en fait partie, mais 😏

7tje

what a tender boy

Surprisingly good listen. Not an artist I am familiar with but good vocals, good use of instrumentation. Liked the piano and guitar mix throughout. Maybe a little repetitive listening to the whole album but on the whole quite pleasant.

If I was 20 in the late 90s, I probably would have loved this album. Now it is ok.

Solid harmonies

At first this was a pretty unremarkable album to me and not much stood out. But in the latter half of the record, I noticed a lot more late-era Beatles sound, which was fun to listen to. There were a few instrumental tracks that could've probably been tossed in my opinion, but overall not a bad album. Notable Tracks: - Stupidity Tries - Wouldn't Mama Be Proud - Happiness 5/10

Mid

Good tunes, respect the works, but his limited range singing kind of gets tiring to me.

Not his best.

It was almost nauseating how color-in-the-lines this album was. Every buildup and swell felt very forced. He used the same formula for building drama in at least 7-8 songs (the strings coming in and him repeating his vocals). Reusing this formula is what made the second to last song lose it's impact. All elements considered he has a good voice and the album wasn't garbage, just a little too "safe" and white-bread to be expected on a list like this. 2.7/5 -> 3/5

Overall: 6/10 This is my first Elliott Smith album, and on a forst impression I can see what makes him such a special artist for a lot of people. His lyrics are interesting and the songs have catchy poppy melodies. However, on a personal level nothing really stood out to me as being exceptional. Maybe it's a case of needing to hear it in the right setting but for now I think it's a pretty good album that I wanted to love but didn't get much out of. I also think a couple of track could have been removed to make it a smoother listen, cause this is a looooong album. Fav Song: L.A. Least Fav Song: Everything Means Nothing to Me

Not bad. I liked his voice and the music is very 90's, early 00's.

Fine I guess. Not really for me. Kinda liked "Can't Make A Sound" but everything else just blended together.

I like other Elliott Smith albums more than this one, but this one is fine.

It's alright. Nothing super spectacular, but also not terrible.

3/5

started out stronger for me but got a little bored towards the end. liked it more than I thought I would - had never heard him before.

Never got into Elliott Smith that much despite liking similar artists from this time period like Ben Folds, Sloan, Wilco, Ween, Fiona Apple, Rufus Wainwright, etc. This is a solid album with a White Album era Beatles vibe. Lots of subtly interesting chord changes and good arrangements. Varied sounds and instrumentation with Hammond organ, orchestral horns, Mellotron, accordion, ragtime piano, double tracked vocals, and textured guitars. Everything about this is nice and well produced but there is something missing in the songwriting that doesn’t quite elevate it from good to great. Wanted to give it 3.5 / 5.

This is so hard to rate. Parts of it feel like 5 parts of it feel like 2. If someone loved this as a younger person I’d totally get it. It just doesn’t hit with me

Another one of those albums just based on the cover and description, I expected to not like. Much to my surprise it was actually pretty decent. Solid pop melodies and Elliot Smith’s voice was pretty good. I think the album kind of blended together a bit too much to rate it higher than a 3, but it was still enjoyable overall.

Pleasant. Not life changing

Nice listen

Bit of a quick review since I was busy with a few things and missed the time to really flesh anything out for this one. I really liked it initially and definitely enjoy the overall indie vibe that Smith has. Instrumentals are all great and his style of singing won me over by the end. That being said I feel like there is a lot of filler in the middle section of this album that just dragged on for a while. I'm not usually bothered by long/padded out albums but this one particularly felt long to me. Definitely liked the songs that stood out to me and would probably give this a 4 if they had trimmed out maybe 2 or 3 songs. I can definitely see why this would be a 5 for someone though. Highlights: LA, Junk Bond Trader, Better Be Quiet Now, Can't Make A Sound

It wasn't for me.

I liked this album a fuck ton more than more other Elliot Smith stuff I've heard. Which is to say, it was good. I reckon could give this a 1, cause I did notice this is definitely an album you can't zone out to, it demands your attention especially to notice all of its little details and instrumental depth. 7/10 Fav tracks - Son of Sam, Junk Bond Trader, Everything Means Nothing to Me, L.A., Stupidity Tries, Easy Way Out, Wouldn't Mama Be Proud, The Gondola Man, Can't Make A Sound, Bye, Because Least Fav - None really

Didn't really know much about Elliott Smith before I listened to this album but I really enjoyed it. I will be searching and listening to other material by him. Favourite track Son of Sam

It was pleasant, not great.

Enjoyable

I got half way thru and realized I wasnt really noticing the songs changing because they sounded so similar I have up

I love either/or, XO, and Roman Candle. I always skipped over this one, not knowing much about it. I don’t think it holds a candle to the others. I found myself getting bored a lot, like during Junk Bond Trader, yet disoriented during songs like Everything Means Nothing To Me. In the Lost and Found gave me a headache. However, Wouldn’t Mama Be Proud is where it picked up for me. I started enjoying the album a lot more. Happiness/The Gondola Man is great. Better Be Quiet Now is classic Eliott Smith. The second half of the album saved me from giving the album a low rating. Bye and Figure 8 take you on a heady journey that almost sounds circus-like, like a dream. I’ll more than likely stick to his earlier work. I almost gave it a 2, but the second half is a 4, so I’ll have to go with a 3.

A decent album but nothing to get excited about so 3 stars or C- for me.

Not having heard of this artist I read some of the reviews already up about it and it sounded promising. Listened to the first few tracks and I agreed mainly with the reviews. Then for whatever reason it just started to sound a bit samey and dare I say it a bit boring. Nothing to not really like but will probably not go back to it.

I used to listen to Elliot Smith all the time but I somehow lost the thread. His music ticks all the right boxes for me but somehow it doesn’t hit me.

Just had it as background while I read up about Elliot Smith (while on the train), poor guy, he obviously had and has a lot of fans… The music was easy enough to listen to, but, like in the first review on this page, needs the right moment

Muy bueno

Some songs seems fun but the overall energy seemed kinda low. Idk nothing stood out too much but there were some fun tracks.

As someone who grew up on a post-punk diet of The Smiths, New Order, Echo and the Bunnymen etc. the miserabilism of this record doesn't piss me off the way it seems to do a lot of reviewers. Each song is well played and arranged, and the overall Beatles vibe judgement is not unfair. Not sure at the heart of it there's anything massively original to hear, though it's a very pleasant listen. 3 stars.

I enjoy Smiths vocal style and can definitely be in the mood for early 2000s emo. Probably my favorite non-rock emo. This album was varied and carried my interest but didn't really stand out from his other work I've listened to, though being his final album was basically the most polished and well put together one of those.

Sweet, but ultimately boring. I like other albums he’s done.

High three

Enjoyable but forgettable

I had Either/Or already, however I actually preferred this. Ironically for being an album made after he attempted on his own life, I found this more hopeful to listen to.

Mayhaps need a relisten. Nothing really stood out to me.

I liked it, although my attention wandered in the second half.

eminently listenable. i liked junk bond trader

This was an enjoyable but very inconsistent listen. The first half of the album is packed with a variety show of indie-sounding piano ballads and country jams – and, for the most part, they're all reasonably catchy. The opening trio of Son Of Sam / Somebody That I Used To Know / Junk Bond Trader is arguably a one-two-three punch of great harmonies, instrumentation, and just an overall groovy feel. Everything Means Nothing To Me is one of those tracks that I love for its several distinct sections, featuring a sudden percussive buildup that makes the second half of the song one of the album's highlights. The dramatic shift in tone (even while the melodic hook from the first half continues to repeat) is a fun part of this song. L.A. continues this lineup of very strong tracks – at least, on side 1. Then we get to side 2, and it immediately becomes apparent that Elliott is padding the runtime with melodies that are difficult to follow, instrumental lineups that imitate those of earlier songs, and less interesting singing. (And I wasn't particularly a fan of this guy's voice to begin with.) The three-song run of Easy Way Out / Wouldn't Mama Be Proud / Colorbars is most suspect here; there just wasn't anything particularly standout in any of these. We see a couple of standouts with the catchy Happiness/The Gondola Man and the haunting piano outro Bye, but otherwise, there's not much going for this half. All in all, the two sides balance each other out, and we end up with a standard 3/5 rating. Some other notes: - As I mentioned, Smith's whispery and unvaried vocal is not good. - The lyrics are pretty darn depressing even in the more upbeat tracks. - This album is recontextualised (to an extent) given that it's the last of Smith's albums released during his lifetime. I almost wonder if the drop in quality throughout the album is meant to be a metaphor. 3/5 Key tracks: Son Of Sam, Somebody That I Used To Know, Everything Means Nothing To Me, L.A.

Solid acoustic emo.

Still surprised how many hits are on this album. I think it falla off a bit at the end but overall quality

A profoundly mediocre album which could do a lot worse, and a lot better. It's a good album to cruise to on the highway. Favorite Track: "Stupidity Tries"

Throughout this list there's often an emphasis on finality. It's rare an artist's final statement gestures towards completion unless you're David Bowie and you're making Blackstar, but while Elliott Smith was not a clairvoyant it's hard to at least consider the weight of the lyrics of "Can't Make a Sound" and the final song being a melancholic piano piece called "Bye". All that being said, I'm going to try and have some objective resolve (lol) and acknowledge my bigger problem with the album: I appreciate it trying to straddle the line between early aughts maximalism and intimate folk singer-songwriter presentation, but I don't always think it sticks the landing. It's a shame. I wish we had gotten more from Elliott. In a way, he certainly deserved more.

i expected this to be sad acoustic guitar the whole time, not sure what to think about the end result

Meh- I had a hard time getting through this one for some reason

This is what all the local bands around here sounded like in the 90s. Not bad, but I'm not impressed.

What were all these guys in the 90s so depressed about? Get a grip dudes. Elliot smith is obviously really talented and writes some beautiful melodies that he ruins by being a whiny little bitch. Even with that criticism there are still some good songs on here. It just could have been so much better

It's ok. Not Elliott's best, imo.

Not as good as his other album, but fine. 3.

Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5

I liked the instrumentals on this record even though most were simple. As far as singer songwriter goes, I found this to be relatively interesting. Unfortunately none of the songs were very memorable.

3☆/5 07.30.2024

Great chilled out music with excellent flow. Never heard of him or this album but it is pretty good. I'm sure that I will be listening to this one again as it has a really nice vibe to it.

Pretty chill 90s music

Really close to a 4 here, just prefer Either/Or and XO a bit more.

I was not familiar with the artist. I really enjoyed this from the start. Very easy to listen to and would listen again. Just not enough real hits for a classic album, nor something I’d have to listen to again. Surprised by this one! Sad story as I read up on it.

Elliott Smith, made famous by the reference to the sadness of his music in Lego Movie 2, with a relatively more upbeat song, named after a serial killer, opening this album. He was the indie rock darling and you can hear both why some loved him and others found him insufferable. The influence on his peers and successors is obvious, he's like a stripped down version of all the alternative indie rock that came out in the late 90s and 2000s. The Shins, The Flaming Lips, Regina Spektor...a million others, you can hear echoes of this. In 2000, he must have been on top of the world and this album is pretty upbeat which would track. Bye is a nice instrumental to end the album but while everything else on the album has that Elliott Smith sound, it does not.

It's OK, but nothing special.

Some interesting pop stuff. But it didn't really get me.

This was good. Second Elliott Smith record in quite short order and I preferred this one

Everything Reminds Me Of Her // Everything Means Nothing To Me // In The Lost And Found // Can’t Make A Sound // 3.5/5

ok

Good, just a bit... bland.