Recorded mildly better than his debut (Roman Candle on Cavity Search), the self-titled second solo album is one of the most understated and incredible albums to emerge from the indie-rock scene in the 1990s. With his nimbl... more »e picking fingers behind him, Smith writes sad, little songs about drugs and romantic codependence that border on the obsessed. "Needle in the Hay" and "The White Lady Loves You More" are exemplary tunes that fuse the Beatles' pop sense with Neil Young's sense of doom. Lying in his own burned out basement, Smith can rough up the gentlest love song with a few salty words of choice. --Rob O'Connor« less
Recorded mildly better than his debut (Roman Candle on Cavity Search), the self-titled second solo album is one of the most understated and incredible albums to emerge from the indie-rock scene in the 1990s. With his nimble picking fingers behind him, Smith writes sad, little songs about drugs and romantic codependence that border on the obsessed. "Needle in the Hay" and "The White Lady Loves You More" are exemplary tunes that fuse the Beatles' pop sense with Neil Young's sense of doom. Lying in his own burned out basement, Smith can rough up the gentlest love song with a few salty words of choice. --Rob O'Connor
Jessica M. from NASHVILLE, TN Reviewed on 5/13/2007...
one of elliott smith's earlier albums
CD Reviews
Elliott's suffering is our catharsis
Velocipede | 808 state | 11/09/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I usually loath introspective singer-songwriters who play acoustic guitar and sing depressing songs, but Smith's music penetrates my shields and makes me weep for this man who draws a great amount of empathy from unknown parts of my psyche.
I give this album 4/5 simply because I think his swan song, "From a Basement on a Hill" is musically superior, or at least more complex, and includes more anger, which is a relatively positive and more comfortable sentiment. For me, the raw emotion of his eponymous album is too much for frequent repeated listening."
This is Elliott
Jeremiah L. Olson | 11/21/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I believe this album truely defines Elliott not only as a musician but, from what I understand, a person. This album is pure emotion. While it is fueled with anger and sadness, the songs fully explore these emotions. There is not a bad song on this album. I can see how someone, especially someone who is only listening to this album as background music, would hear a similar sound in each song. This is definitely an album that you need to sit and absorb. Listen to the lyrics and the instruments. Take breaks if you plan to listen to the album more than once though because you may start to absorb some of Elliott's feelings. Thanks Elliott for leaving us your music."
Amazing
Meecrofilm | 02/11/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'm a big Elliott Smith fan, and this is my favorite album of his. Strangely, I didn't really care for the album upon first listen--none of the melodies really stuck with me. But then I revisited it. And then again. And again, and so on. I must say, this album has the unique quality of getting better with each listen. This is certainly Elliott's most nuanced-album. You can't possibly pick up on all the subtleties present upon first, second, or even third listen. Very intense, and yet quietly beautiful, this in my opinion is Elliott's most timeless album."