360 records from 2000: 5. Elliott Smith: Figure 8

Country: US
Artist: Male solo artist
Career: recording since 1994
Language: English
Genre: Tinker tailor Miniature Pop


Smith’s White album, and what a job he does of it. This is like two records, a band album and a solo one, melded into one, except the band is also Smith by himself. Look, no doubt about it. Maybe at times his stuff gets a little overbearingly self-centred and depressing. But melodically, harmonically, arrangement-wise, production-wise, he was a master. This stuff shows there’s no real dividing line between art and craft, but at best, they strengthen each other. This may be his best work or it may be ‘xo’, it’s a draw. I’m happy they’re both out there.

At its best: Everything reminds me of her/Everything means nothing to me, Happiness, Can’t make a sound.