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THE REVIEW
On October 21st, Elliott Smith, the Portland singer-songwriter acclaimed in the USA as the Oscar winner for the song "Miss Misery," the soundtrack of the film "Good Will Hunting," committed suicide by stabbing himself in the chest with a kitchen knife. He suffered from depression and had recently emerged from a long heroin addiction. He was 34 years old.
A year ago, while I was at the cinema watching the film "The Royal Tenenbaums," I heard a song from the soundtrack of majestic beauty: stripped down, monotonous to exhaustion, irresistible. Once home, I searched on Internet Movie Database and discovered it was "Needle in the Hay" by a certain Elliott Smith. From there, the discovery (in reverse) of a mine of wonders...
In this "Figure 8," released in 2000 and thus remains his (fifth and) last album, there is a summary of all the Elliott Smith from the previous albums: the one from the beginnings (listen to "Somebody That I Used to Know," a song that lasts only two minutes, with a folk structure à la Dylan from the Freewheelin' period, reassuring for classic fingerpicking lovers and at the same time very modern in its scents and flavors), and the more recent one from the album "XO," with the opening to orchestrated arrangements in Elvis Costello style (for example, the Beatlesque "Son of Sam," from which a video was made and of which there is also a very convincing acoustic version online, or the splendid "Happiness," with its solemn and indolent stride).
Sometimes Elliott Smith's songwriting can recall that of Nick Drake, especially in the tone of the acoustic guitar and the habit of drawing out sounds with the voice in long, whimsical melodies. But here there is less psychedelia, more of a taste for a refined melody akin to Badly Drawn Boy, sophisticated yet enjoyable from the first listen. And much more the sense of a lucid, poetic, dark, inescapable pain, which is evident from the words and yet never descends into despair. Listen to "Junk Bond Trader": "your world's no wider than your hatred of his \ checking into a small reality \ boring as a drug you take too regularly" (a theme, the relationship with drugs, that recurs obsessively in many songs). Listen to "Happiness": "oh my, nothing else could've been done \ he made his life a lie so he might never have to know anyone \ made his
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Summary by Bot
This review delves into Elliott Smith's 2000 album Figure 8, highlighting its blend of folk and orchestrated melodies. It praises Smith's poetic, dark songwriting shaped by personal struggles with depression and addiction. The album is described as a culmination of his evolving style, with comparisons to artists like Nick Drake and Elvis Costello. The review appreciates the album's emotional depth and refined musicality.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith (1969–2003) was an American singer-songwriter known for intimate, guitar-driven songs and a style often compared to Nick Drake. He gained wider attention after “Miss Misery,” written for Good Will Hunting, received an Academy Award nomination. His catalog spans lo-fi acoustic recordings and later, more elaborate arrangements; a major posthumous release is From a Basement on the Hill.11 Reviews
Other reviews
By zaireeka
As if all the melancholy of the world comes to visit me when certain songs of his, in particular, knock on my door.
Your last message on voicemail, your farewell, without words, which left others, for once, hanging on the other end.
