Elliott Smith - Either/Or (CD)

Either/Or is Beautiful Music

By Yahoo! Shopping User  Jul 27, 2006

Pros: A Most Gratifying Record

Cons: n/a

Reviewer David Lorello noted that the title of this album is the same as that of a book by the highly regarded 19th century philosopher Kierkegaard. In the opening paragraphs of that book, Kierkegaard writes of a poet as being “a person whose lips a...re shaped in such a way that their sighs of sorrow sound to us, the audience, like beautiful music.” Elliott Smith expresses a depth of emotions that is easier to compare to a poet rather than any other pop musician. The music on Either/Or is some of the saddest, yet most beautiful that I have ever heard. Elliott’s music is often described as melancholy, somber, and even depressing - especially this album. When Elliott heard of this sadness he would sheepishly reply that he did not understand how his music could make people feel so sad when it made him so happy. It is this tenderness and truth, found throughout the songs of Either/Or, which transcends anything dark about his music. What does this album sound like? Without sounding flippant, Elliott Smith’s music sounds like that of hundreds of other artists. There is nothing new here. However, comparisons to Bob Dylan or Nick Drake never settled well with me. I recall another reviewer most imaginatively describing Elliott Smith as having a “butterfly wings voice - frail on the surface and always sounding like he was about to slip off-key.” Elliott Smith’s songs celebrate being human with a fragile whisper of a singing voice and a minimalist approach when it comes to the instrumentation. Elliott’s song writing is anything but modest with some very sophisticated time signatures. The songs on Either/Or are mostly well-crafted acoustic guitar numbers. Either/Or is an ethereal album addressing universal concerns (albeit full of intelligent metaphors). Despite what you might be thinking from this review, Either/Or is still immediately accessible. Alameda, Between the Bars, 2:45 AM, Say Yes (and really every song on the album) deal with comfortable/familiar themes of loss, love, betrayal, and even hope. In the end, Either/Or is a magnificent and gratifying record; one that is felt all the way into the pit of one's stomach. When the album ends, you wont know whether to weep, or smile as Elliott would have wanted you to. Read more Less