Review Summary: There are very few albums that absolutely everybody needs to listen to. This is one of them.
Sincerity is one of the most important traits qualities in a musician. If the emotions sound forced due to the performer or composer's ineptitude, then the music will soon be forgotten and replaced by thousands of superior works. Some performers try to hide their inability to emote under a thin veil of technicality, and these specious artists are often held in high regard until the listener discovers the lack of genuine emotion in the music. Elliott Smith did not choose this path. Instead, he decided to play music that without real feeling would simply fall flat and be worthless. He succeeded fantastically.
Elliott Smith's magnum opus,
Either/Or, is not a complicated album. Elliott Smith plays the acoustic guitar and sings in his trademark whispered voice. A simple bassline and drum pattern plays in the background, and an occasional electric guitar plays a soft lead. There's nothing else. Elliott Smith hides nothing, and repeated listens are by no means required to understand
Either/Or. This openness and the simple, usually acoustic arrangements create an intimacy that is surpassed by few, if any, performers.
Either/Or is certainly not a happy and joyous album. Most of the music is melancholic and brooding, such as the lonely
Between The Bars or the nostalgic
Alameda, but certain songs are more cheerful, such as
Say Yes, where Elliott Smith takes a break from depression and misery, and sings about getting back together with a past lover, or
Pictures Of Me, where Smith sings about how the media incorrectly portrays him. However, these songs, even the hopeful
Say Yes, are tinged with a sadness and regret that is consistently present in Elliott Smith's work.
The lyrics are as truthful as the music is. Whether Elliott Smith sings of self-loathing or newfound love, it is clear that he believes what he says. Just like the music, the lyrics are straightforward and frank. This frankness sometimes leads to lines that on paper seem to be overstatements, but the sincerity of the performance immediately puts such notions to rest.
When music is very simple, like
Either/Or is, there are normally certain negative aspects. Usually, after ten or so listens, a simple song becomes boring. Songs by bands such as AC/DC may be fantastic for the first few listens, but then quickly become dull. Elliott Smith's music contains such well-written melodies and such natural performances that it never falls into this rut.
Overall, Elliott Smith's masterpiece,
Either/Or, is a near perfect album, and one of the most intimate and sincere pieces of music ever recorded. Truly essential.
