Elliott Smith Album: “Xo”

Perhaps the best thing about "XO" is that we get to see Elliott Smith very clearly demonstrating the true range and depth of his talent. As amazing as "Roman Candle," "Elliott Smith," and "Either/or" are--and indeed, they are my favorite Elliott Smith albums--those albums require the listener to truly immerse himself in the music; special attention needs to be paid to all the quiet subtleties, or else much of the beauty and uniqueness can be lost. Smith's earlier albums require a desire on the listener's part to let the music bloom in all its glory; "XO" blossoms on first listen.

"XO" clearly stands out from Smith's previous work, simply based on how much production went into the album; no one could ever accuse "Roman Candle," "Elliott Smith," or "Either/or" of being over-produced. But I also think it would be a mistake to call "XO" overproduced. The rawness and urgency of Smith's music are not glossed over, which is generally what is meant when an album is accused of being overproduced. Instead, Smith's increased resources allow him to bring layers to his music that highlight--rather than detract from--the heart of his songs.

Songs such as "Waltz #1" and "Oh Well, Okay" demonstrate this point perfectly. These songs have all the lyrical and musical integrity and richness of Smith's earlier work, yet he simply could not have produced them earlier, particularly in the case of "Waltz #1." In spirit, however, these two songs--as well as the majority of the album--are a perfect continuation of Smith's work. That they are "fuller" songs, at least musically, allows Smith's talent to be more open and upfront, yet they still retain a certain quietness and subtlety.

Several songs stand out as noticeably different from Smith's earlier work, however. "Amity" sounds more like a song Smith would have written for Heatmiser than for a solo album; it is the one sour note on the album. I also find "Baby Britain" to be a new "type" of Smith song, though in this case the development is good. And the last song on the album, "I Didn't Understand," is a beautiful breathy a capella piece which very skillfully sums up the album's themes and brings it to a close.

"XO" had the chance of falling flat, precisely because of Smith's expanded resources; there was a chance that he would not be able to transition from his minimalistic sound to a fuller one. However, as "XO's" rich lushness demonstrates, Smith fulfilled the challenge well, and he produced a record that is true to the soul of his music.

Did this guy know how to write catchy hooks or what? Did this guy have a PROFOUND sense of melody and harmony or what?

I suppose I'd heard Elliott Smith at one time or another, possibly took note when watching The Royal Tennenbaums. But I really didn't know who this guy was until recently. I started hearing his name again and again though I can't recall where.

Now, I've been buying and playing music for about 36 years - my first Lp purchase was The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour. My tastes range from the Fab Four to Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, King Crimson, Nick Drake, John Martyn, Tom Waits and so on. I like just about anything as long as it comes from the heart.

But I digress. I finally got around to purchasing an Elliott Smith CD - XO. Oh I agonized over whether to buy it, I'd never heard the guy, should I spend the 15 bucks on a guy I've never even heard or play it safe and buy that U2 collection?

Wow!!! I am so glad I purchased this CD! There is not one stinker track, it's all very skilled, wonderfully executed song writing. This is one of the best sessions I have ever heard, it is worth every penny! Don't agonize over it - Buy it! In a way, I'm glad I didn't discover Elliott Smith before he died, I would have been heartbroken. Waltz #1 is one of the most poinantly beautiful things these ears have ever heard and then it's followed by the rocker Amity - somehow it works. Elliot really was amazing!

Everytime I listen to XO I think I have picked a favorite track, then on the next listen it's a new favorite track and then on the next listen... and so it goes.

Don't just just sit there! Start clicking, buy it!

POSTSCRIPT SIX MONTHS LATER:

Along with Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and the Shins' Chutes Too Narrow this is the most played CD in my collection. I still believe it is as close to perfection as a rock CD can ever be. It NEVER grows stale, one of a handful of truly great recordings from the pop genre.

ONE YEAR ON:

It's still a great CD, not getting a lot of rotation these days but I still love it. It is the only Elliott Smith CD I kept. The others were just too darn depressing.

I've never written a review, but...

This is such an amazing album, my review will surely fail to render a complete picture of it's brilliance. Having crafted a moving soundtrack for Good Will Hunting (with mostly pieces of either/or), he shows amazing range with this, his next project. Frank lyrics, acoustic-based arrangements and moving harmonies are the background for this album that continues to reveal new, subtle beauty. Smith reworks the waltz twice into current, beautiful ballads. More upbeat songs like Question Mark and Bled White still manage to convey a longing, restless energy that moves though these songs. The guitar work is solid--from a George Harrison inspired weeping solo on Oh Well, Okay, to the furious acoustic tempo of Tomorrow, Tomorrow, the album retains a certain calmness, but never bores. It is an absolute masterpiece and an album that will never get old! Truly sublime!

When you're hearing an artist for the first time, it's important to start with the right album: I firmly believe it can make the difference between becoming a die-hard fan and walking away underwhelmed. In the case of Elliot Smith, the right starting album is almost certainly "XO." Whether it's truly his best work I don't claim to know, particularly since I haven't heard all his albums yet, but it is an excellent introduction: it's (almost) instantly likeable while retaining many complexities that draw you in deeper with repeat listens. Chances are, hearing this will get you interested in his other music, and even if you end up liking only one Elliot Smith record, I'm betting that this will be it.

Also, for those who assume that Elliot Smith was one of those pretentious, self-involved adolescent artists (a la Dashboard Confessional), you couldn't be more wrong. I know, because I used to think the same thing, and I was wrong. The fact is that, even if you don't like the "intimate," "vulnerable" lyric style that people associate with Elliot Smith, you might still find plenty of reasons to like him. For one thing, the lyrics on XO contain a lot of emotion, but they are abstract in all the right ways and never simply sound like a singer talking about himself. For another... well, I have one word for you: songwriting. These are clever, melodic, unpredictable, and frequently stunning songs that Paul McCartney would have been proud of--and I mean 60s Paul, not current washed-up Paul. To make a long story short, if you are genuinely interested in music, don't avoid this album because of the hype: you owe it to yourself to listen. You might be disappointed. But I doubt it.

I have read previous reviews of Elliott Smith's "XO" and I was absolutely befuddled at why people put that they thought it wasn't as good as his other albums (and I have EVERY single one of Elliott's albums). XO is a marvelous journey through the mind of one of the most influential indie artists of the 20-21st centuries and hopefully beyond. I will agree, XO is very over-produced, but TRUST ME if you had the major label funding of Dreamworks records behind you, you would probably take advantage of the ability to make your music sound even more impressive, even with Elliott's other albums being very sparse and acoustically-rough sounding (even though I absolutely LOVE, I repeat LOVE all of Elliott's older works and Figure 8 as well). With such a genius behind his songs, how can you not stop and think about what a talent this man is? If I could rate XO higher, I would give it the highest possible rating humanly possible. Starting off the CD with "Sweet Adeline", you hear Elliott's previous works showing through but by the time of the chorus hits, you are pounded in the chest with slamming drums your toe along to as the piano and acoustic guitar pull themselves along to the climatic ending. Moving deeper into the CD you can definately hear his Beatles influence with "Baby Britian". There isn't one song on this entire CD that I utterly can't stop singing or hear it pulsating through my head. This man is an absolute genius and I recomend this album to anyone and piano. The album then rolls into "Tomorrow, Tomorrow", an acoustic tune that almost brings tears to your eyes. "Waltz #2" boasts a 3/4 time that you can't help but feel yourself tapping along to. Moving down the CD you can hear the definate Beatles influence in "Baby Britian", a wonderful bouncy tune about the desparities of drinking in a smoggy bar. This man can take something so dark and desolate and make it sound different just by the sound of his voice. "Pitseleh" and "Independence Day" are probably my favorites on the album. "Pitseleh" is a very sad acoustic tune that almost brings me to crying every time I hear it; it is just so beautiful. "Independence Day" is a simple sounding acoustic tune with beautiful harmonies to boot. "Bled White" and "Waltz #1" are next in line, and these two stand out in my mind. "Bled White" sounds like something Elliott had never done on his solo albums, in my mind, with its up-tempo drums and happy sing-a-long style. "Waltz #1" is probably the most over-shadowed tune of the album, but I find it utterly breathtaking. "Amity" is one that most people overlook because of it's simplistic lyrical content (repeating "Amity" over & over) but the song is very moving for me in the fact that there is so much power coming from a very reserved and softly spoken man. "Oh Well, OK" is my absolute favorite of the album, just in its simple nature with hauntingly stark melodies and harmonies. "Bottle Up and Explode!" is another stand-out on the album, complete with orchestra and pounding, perfect sounding drums. "A Question Mark" is a whimsicaly despondant song with the stylings of a blues sound with Elliott's personal touch. "Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands" is another heartfelt tale that leads into the acapella "I Didn't Understand". The ending song is something Elliott had never done in the past, with a wall-of-Elliott harmony that moves you to the ground. Anyone with any sense of musical taste will love "XO" and hopefully understand what this man is trying to get across to everyone.