Figure 8 Elliott Smith MODEST MOUSE BUILt TO SPILL SHINS COLORED VINYL OOP New
$
59
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Description
RECORD IS UNOPENED 428 OF 500.
Judging only by his earlier, bare-bones indie-label albums, it seemed highly unlikely that Elliott Smithwould turn into the ambitious arranger and studio craftsman of his lushly textured Dreamworks debut, XO. A big part of that shift, of course, was the fact that Smith had major-label finances and equipment to work with for the first time; this allowed him to fuse his melancholy, slightly punky folk with the rich sonics of pop artists like the Beatles and Beach Boys. Smith continues in that direction for the follow-up, Figure 8, an even more sonically detailed effort laden with orchestrations and inventive production touches. With a couple of exceptions, the sound of Smith's melancholy has largely shifted from edgy to sighingly graceful, although his lyrics are as dark as ever. Even if the subject matter stays in familiar territory, though, the backing tracks are another matter -- a gorgeous, sweeping kaleidoscope of layered instruments and sonic textures. Smith fleshes his songs out with assurance and imagination, and that newfound sense of mastery is ultimately the record's real emphasis; there's seemingly a subtle new wrinkle to the sound of every track, and yet it's all easily recognizable as trademark Smith. Even if it is a very impressive statement overall, Figure 8 isn't quite the masterpiece it wants to be -- there's something about the pacing that just makes the record feel long (at over 52 minutes, it is the longest album in Smith's catalog), and it can sometimes float away from the listener's consciousness. Perhaps it's that Smith's songwriting does slip on occasion here, which means that those weaker tracks sink under the weight of arrangements they aren't equipped to support. Still, most of the songs do reveal their strengths with repeated plays, and it's worth the price of a few nondescript items to reap the rewards of the vast majority. Fans who miss the intimacy of his Kill Rock Stars records won't find much to rejoice about here, but overall, Figure 8 comes tantalizingly close to establishing Elliott Smith as the consummate pop craftsman he's bidding to become.
Collapse ?Track Listing
Sample Title/Composer Performer Time Stream 1 Son of Sam Elliott Smith Elliott Smith 3:04 Rdio 2 Somebody That I Used to Know Elliott Smith Elliott Smith 2:09 Rdio 3 Junk Bond Trader Elliott Smith Elliott Smith 3:49 Rdio 4 Everything Reminds Me of Her Elliott Smith Elliott Smith 2:37 Rdio 5 Everything Means Nothing to Me Elliott Smith Elliott Smith 2:24 Rdio 6 LA Elliott Smith Elliott Smith 3:14 7 In the Lost and Found (Honky Bach)/The Roost Elliott Smith Elliott Smith 4:32 Rdio 8 Stupidity Tries Elliott Smith Elliott Smith 4:23 Rdio 9 Easy Way Out Elliott Smith Elliott Smith 2:44 Rdio 10 Wouldn't Mama Be Proud? Elliott Smith Elliott Smith 3:25 Rdio 11 Color Bars Elliott Smith Elliott Smith 2:19 Rdio 12 Happiness/The Gondola Man Elliott Smith Elliott Smith 5:04 Rdio 13 Pretty Mary K Elliott Smith Elliott Smith 2:36 Rdio 14 I Better Be Quiet Now Elliott Smith Elliott Smith 3:35 Rdio 15 Can't Make a Sound Elliott Smith Elliott Smith 4:18 Rdio 16 Bye Elliott Smith Elliott Smith 1:53price rating
