ROTW: Elliot Smith's 1997 album, Either/Or

Our pick for Record Of The Week is Either/Or, Elliot Smith's third solo album.

This album has a saddening but comforting tone, with ‘Mr Misery’ presenting us with 12 sombre songs which all feel like a warm hug in musical form.

Prior to performing solo, Smith was a guitarist/vocalist for Portland indie band Heatmiser.

In 1995, he debuted with his self titled album under the Kill Rock Stars label.

It wasn’t until two LPs later that he would create Either/Or which would go on to be a classic of the sad indie genre.

Named after Kierkgaard’s 1843 book of the same title, Smith’s consistency throughout the album is effective in constructing the raw spirit of the project.

Smith is loyal to his stripped back, acoustic style, with an acoustic guitar and drum being the only instruments used on the album.

The acoustic guitar on Either/Or is nearly as important as Elliot Smith’s verses, as it almost has a personality of its own, made through its rich tone and effective chord progressions.

These couple up effectively with Smith’s intimate wisps, which contain gorgeous melodies soothing our ears for the whole 37 minutes of the LP. The melodies and chord progressions remind me of the choruses of many 60s pop tracks, from artists such as the Beatles and the Beach Boys.

Describing the album in this way may suggest there is a lack of variety, but Smith manages to create a certain, unique tone on each song.

A few of the songs made it onto the soundtrack for the film Good Will Hunting, which was released in the same year. This boosted the reputation of the album even further, with Smith performing a song he wrote for Gus Van Sant’s film at The Shrine Auditorium for the Oscars.

It’s hard to take away from any of the songs on this album, however my highlights are ‘Between The Bars’, ‘Pictures Of Me’ and ‘Say Yes’.

The album’s raw and intimate approach to music making is striking, and rightfully so remains as a staple record for the sad indie genre.