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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. Figure 8 is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith, and the final studio album released during his lifetime. 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. rock stars will also reissue either/or and smiths self-titled 1995 album on.
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The biggest mistake people make is assuming his songs are all confessional. we remember elliott on this day for not only being an amazing artist but. 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. My grandfathers final request was a slice. 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. Why Elliott Smiths Either/Or Is My Break Glass in Case of Existential Crisis Album.
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There’s an immense difficulty implicit in covering any famous artist’s works, as covers spur. His lyrics are emotionally vulnerable in a way like reading someone’s diary. Elliott Smith (1969 - 2003) poses for a portrait session on Main Los Angeles. Either/Or comforts like a sonic blanket for when you want to tunnel into your own emotions with cathartic contentment.