Smith would then in turn became an influential force to other artists like Bright Eyes, Iron And Wine, M. From the fragile harmonies on “Alameda Street” to the intricate fingerpicking on “Angeles” and the melancholy mix of anguish and hope on “Say Yes,” Either/Or is a nod to the folk-pop forefathers of The Zombies, Simon & Garfunkel, Nick Drake, and The Left Banke. You see recurring characters in his songs.”īut with apocryphal lyrics like “Everybody’s dying just to get the disease” and “I’m so sick and tired of all these pictures of me” on “Pictures of Me,” it’s hard not to read between the lines.ĭespite its low-fi touches on the opener “Speed Trials,” “Say Yes” and throughout the record, Either/Or also displays Smith’s talents as a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and the purity of his voice. It’s his own life, but it’s a lot of allegory. The biggest mistake people make is assuming his songs are all confessional. His name alone has become shorthand for adolescent angst and while Either/Or is suffused with melancholy, it doesn’t revel in it.Īs his longtime friend and creative collaborator Larry Crane told Pitchfork, “His lyrics are parables and observations. It’s almost impossible now to separate Smith’s tragic death and the perceptions that people project onto his music. 19951997: Elliott Smith and Either/Or In 1995, Smiths self-titled album was released on Kill Rock Stars the record featured a style of recording similar to Roman Candle, but with hints. Either/Or celebrates its 20th anniversary with a deluxe version. ![]() ![]() That explains much of why the album triggers such a Proustian response, just hearing it transports you back to your emotional state when heard it for the first time. Elliott Smith archivist and engineer Larry Crane discusses the challenges of making Smith's best album sound even better. His lyrics are emotionally vulnerable in a way like reading someone’s diary. ![]() But Elliott Smith also remained sensitive to pop melodies, the kind produced by The Beatles, The Kinks, The Zombies and Big Star, a sound that he stripped back to reach complete purity. Either/Or comforts like a sonic blanket for when you want to tunnel into your own emotions with cathartic contentment. Either/Or was his third album, released in February 1997, on which Nick Drakes ghost from Pink Moon is almost audible.
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