GutterPutter

From his start in Heatmiser in 1991 & beyond his passing from 2003, Elliott Smith has always kept a reputation as a critical darling. His heart-worn writings which muse on loss & introspection makes for an instant win for first-time listeners. Throw in his advanced guitar playing or his whispered vocal delivery & you can see how he can weave in the attention of both mainstream & indie fans. He always favours appealing sounds & idolise the Beatles & Bob Dylan whose use of poppy songwriting & poetic lyricism respectively supplies a nostalgic influence on his tracks. Like many great musicians & artists, there is always that one record that stands being his absolute best. This is difficult for most, given how his albums always have universal adoration with their fingerprints found in nearly all underground records with a slight tinge for feelings & catchiness. For me, his defining work must be Either/Or – a folk-based record that balances out his vulnerability with a talent in musical craftmanship. 

Either/Or is released in 1997 which is one of the most stacked years in terms with influential musical releases after the 60s or the 70s. Radiohead, Bjork, Modest Mouse, & Godspeed You! Black Emperor are amongst the most notable names that I could think of who left a big impression on the scene with their albums & had since then continue to make waves for their work. The one thing that makes Smith’s work stand out from the rest is that it’s simple at its core. While the names that I’ve mentioned are known for being experimental & thus push the boundary of what you can do with songs, Either/Or sticks to what Smith does best which is bitter, if sometimes sweet, songs that is played on a guitar. & he aces it with flying colour. 

If the phrase “Make it new” were to be made into a work, this album could be it. So much of Elliott Smith’s tracks is familiar, yet the way that he utilises the guitar & his lyricism carves the way toward subtle differences that grow clearer with each listening. The studio manipulation helps to supply a lot more to the album as the way that Smith layers his voice in slightly different notes makes for an amazingly spectral execution. The varied instruments that he played is on a proficient enough level to make Either/Or rewarding without coming off as being pretentious. Even the drumming, which some people consider to be a weakness, does its job to not overshadow the rest so you can pay attention to the smaller aspects of his playing that enriches the experience. 

Take the anecdotal assault in ‘2:45 AM’ & notice the nuanced playing of the chords before it builds up to a climatic rock performance. Then, compare it to ‘No Name No. 5’ which takes on a slower tempo & a progression that doesn’t blow up aside from a drumming inclusion. Or the production that helps to supply backup harmonies or pad out the instrumentation as found in ‘Speed Trials’. ‘Alameda’ sees the backing vocal at its most effective & choral which further adds to the sentimentality (also some organ playing once you listen closely enough). ‘Cupid’s Trick’ has the acoustic guitar rhythm be overdubbed by the cathartic entrance of its electrical equivalent before it dives into slacker rock territory. ‘Pictures of Me’ carries an upbeat sound which is dissonant to the anger towards mass misinterpretation which works brilliantly in practice.  

The metaphoric alcohol dependency in ‘Behind the Bars’, the nostalgia in ‘Rose Parade’, & the feeling of domesticity within “Punch and Judy” are also noteworthy tracks that I particularly love as it strikes the balance between Smith’s confessional songwriting & a bouncy instrumentation. They’re all so heartfelt that it’s hard to argue that they have a shallow look into the feeling of being down. If there’s one highlight that stands out above all for me, it’s the final track in ‘Say Yes’ which is, for a lack of better word, one of the sincerest love songs I have listened to. It hooked me in with its multi-layered production of guitars & harmonic singing from Smith himself & the lines are so passionate in a bittersweet sense that in another world, it would’ve been a cliché to say it. “I’m in love with the world/ Through the eyes of a girl/ Who’s still around the morning after” is just before the revelation of the breakup, but it always sends a chill down my spine whether he utters it. Either/Or always sound familiar at first listen, but there is an aura around it that makes it impossible to not blend in with other folk records. 

Now, the album stands tall as being one of the greatest independent projects of all time. Placing 216 in the Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2020, alongside being a part of Pitchfork’s 100 best albums of the 90s speaks for how seminal it is to Smith’s reputation. It sets up such a standard for other independent folk musicians to focus on balancing out memorable guitar playing with quotable lyricism much like how Bob Dylan & Nick Drake had done over the 60s & 70s. Had it not been for Elliott Smith’s work, it’s unlikely that we would enjoy indie folk’s spike in recognition over the course of the 2000s as he would earn more popularity from writing ‘Miss Misery’ & send some of his songs over to Good Will Hunting’s soundtrack. Folk artists like Iron & Wine or indie pop acts like Death Cab for Cuties would find themselves indebted to Smith for paving the way for catchy, largely acoustic musicians to get more fans without needing a backing of a major studio.  

Even now, the legacy of Either/Or can’t simply be unstated as artists like Phoebe Bridgers had been noted for picking up chord progressions & playing that is reminiscent of Smith himself. While this wave has yet to died out & is still strong to this day, there were concerns around Smith’s legacy that is comparable to the post-punk revival controversy. Just like how the latter genre would become home to dozens of one-hit wonder copycats that doesn’t offer a whole lot of genuine feelings, Either/Or would become the blueprint for the sad white male guitarist schtick that people make fun of after Smith moved on towards a musicianship that’s like the Beatles. Even though there is a problem with Smith’s long-term influence, it doesn’t deter Either/Or from being recognised as a cornerstone of modern indie folk. Now, its mix of literate writing & folk-rock instrumentation continues to ensure that Smith will continue to be remembered as one of the finest singer-songwriters of all time.