mail: daniel_fjall@hotmail.com
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xo
XO Released: 1998 Rating: 6/10 Track listing: 1. Sweet Adeline/ 2. Tomorrow Tomorrow/ 3. Waltz #2 (XO)/ 4. Baby Britain/ 5. Pitseleh/ 6. Independence Day/ 7. Bled White/ 8. Waltz #1/ 9. Amity/ 10. Oh Well, Okay/ 11. Bottle Up And Explode!/ 12. A Question Mark/ 13. Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands/ 14. I Didn’t Understand XO is heavily inspired by Nick Drake, no doubt about that. Slow, acoustic songs with heartfelt lyrics and sincere singing. The problem is that most of the time it’s uninteresting and quite dull. A bit too perfect, a bit too smart and a bit too empty and bland. Music that easily becomes your average background music, unless you sit still and really listen to it focused and concentrated. It’s not an album that grabs your attention, wether you like it or not. Of course there are always exceptions. The unrequited love in "Waltz #2 (XO)" hits like a fist in the stomach area with its beautiful melody, simple but good chord changes and naked, confessing lyrics. Then the album turns into an anonymous journey with no destination. Smith’s talent can never be in doubt, but at the same time you’ll be bored. Until the closing song, "I Didn't Understand". A fantastic a cappella number that Brian Wilson might have written. Just gorgeous singing and harmonies that leaves the listener breathless. Elliott Smith is one great singer when he puts his mind to it. To sum things up, an album with highlights here and there, but falls short in hooks. Elliott Smith is no wizard, but every now and then ("I Didn't Understand", "Waltz #2") he manage to pull a rabbit out of his hat.
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