Elliott Smith — Either/Or (Review)
Elliott Smith’s music is something I always had orbiting around the various music I commonly listened to. I remember kids in high school listening to his music, mostly the more alternative kids. I tried listening to his music in my early twenties, and I can tell that I never really fully listened to anything of Elliott’s fully. If it wasn’t an alternative female singer, my brain tuned out pretty quickly. His music continued to distantly orbit me. I remember a few years back listening to a podcast going over the mysterious and unsolved aspects of his tragic death in 2003. After being suggested this album from my friend Jason who runs the Liz Phair fan group I’m in, I finally sat down and really listened to Elliott for the first time.
First, Elliott plays everything on this record. I am still in awe of that. Listening to it all the way through, his talent and songwriting still are something to behold. Everything on this record sounds so good. I am subconsciously kicking my early 20s ass for not listening to this record, cause I would have absolutely loved it. The album opens up with “Speed Trails”, the first single off the record. Immediately you are struck my Elliott’s guitar and drumming. His voice soft but assured throughout out the track. Lyrically the song paints a picture of delusion from reality from the issue that really at hand. It’s a fantastically written song, very rough but pure in tone. This one got me hooked on what was to come next. “Alameda” has a more poppier sound to it, with electric guitar, bass, and an organ joining in. This track continues Elliott’s theme of someone clearly in the throws of their own turmoil. I can hear so many emo bands watering down this for their future work in the 2000s. You just can’t recreate it the same way it sounds here. “Ballad of Big Nothing” is one of the favorites off this record. This track also happens to be the second single off the record. The down tuned guitar and overall 3 piece band sound make the song. This works perfectly with the lyrical apathy Elliot writes towards this parade and really life at the moment. “Between the Bars” is one of Elliott’s most popular songs, having been used in the Good Will Hunting soundtrack as well as in various other media since. It’s a beautiful ballad showing Elliott wanting to lift up the one he loves. My favorite line here is “The people you’ve been before, that you don’t want around anymore, that push and shove and won’t bend to your will, I’ll keep them still…”. It’s so good. “Pictures of Me” has a bouncy nature to it immediately from the guitar and organ. I hear so many influences that other artists must have gotten from this sound. “So sick and tried of these Pictures of Me, Everybody’s dying just to get the disease”, highlights the clear angst in the track towards himself and undertone of addiction here. “No Name №5” opens very similar to Beck’s “Nobody’s Fault but My Own”, but doesn’t have the same spacey tone to it as Beck’s. I can’t help but wonder if Beck heard this track and was very inspired by it or it’s happenstance that they sound similar. The droning guitar help to extenuate the desperate loneliness and depressive nature of the track. This one hurts. “Rose Parade” has a much more upbeat nature to it. The track begins with overall observations of the parade around him, but this begins wain towards the end. “When they clean the street, I’ll be the only shit that’s left behind…” continues the theme of self loathing. “Punch and Judy” has an almost 60s sound to it. The lyrics continue the underlying theme of battling addiction and hating what that has changed to your mindset. “Angeles” is a soft fuck you to the soul sucking nature of Los Angeles and Hollywood. Elliott’s lyricism is again fantastic here. “Cupids Trick” has more grit to it than the prior tracks with a biting guitar in the chorus and stellar guitar solo. The theme of addiction here has ruined a relationship from hiding it from your girlfriend, and then her being devastated by finding out the truth, “Should’ve lit me up, It’s my lie…”. It’s that hating that this has got you there, desperation of wanting everything to be okay, and wishing you had just lied. “2:45” is the aftermath. The hatred of constantly wanting a high that only leads to self-destruction. Here, Elliott promises to fight these demons and get back on track. The final track is another popular one, “Say Yes”. I have heard this track in the ether many times. This track has so much optimism to it. We see Elliott writing of cleaning up and bettering himself hoping that the girl he loves will return.
I have to say that was an extremely enjoyable listen overall. I still think I am an idiot for not listening to this record a decades ago. Elliott was a talent. This album is the catalyst for so much more to come in the future. There is so much honesty and raw emotion in the sound and lyrics on this record. It is definitely a must to listen to. Highlights off the album:
- “Speed Trails”
- “Ballad of Big Nothing”
- “Between the Bars”
- “No Name №5”
- “Cupids Trick”
- “Say Yes”
Overall rate: 8.5 out of 10 Eithers/Ors
