Elliott Smith - Elliott Smith

The gloomy, whispery, almost tortured sound of Elliot Smith feels unexpectedly current to me while listening in 2024. He’s got the bedroom pop sound nailed, the confession of one’s insecurities in a way that wouldn’t disturb one’s sleeping parents in the next room. His f-bombs on “Christian Brothers” sound like he’s been looking forward to each and every one of them, building up the F sound like it’s the first time he’s ever said the word, emphasizing his discontent so the adults will listen - and that might be the single best way to summarize his sound. 

I can’t say this album was the most musically inspiring for me, but Elliott Smith was an artist I was completely unfamiliar with, and that was enough reason to explore it on its own. This seems to be another album that has been reviewed more positively in memory than at the time - I need to listen to some more Smith to really get where it fits into his discography, and I intend to do so. 

The best part is the folk atmosphere in my opinion - Smith used interesting chord changes as his major ornamentation, and the music goes unexpected places as a result. Most of the surprises are small ones, but that’s enough, as his music seems to shine from simplicity rather than decoration. It’s still a little petulant for me, but I can respect it.

From the roundup Jamwise #48 - Best Albums of 1995.