XO by Elliott Smith

Pros: Beautiful, dark, thoughtful, intelligent, and unique
Cons: .

Elliott Smith was in life only fleetingly recognized for his innate talent for songwriting and performance. After recording his darkly reflective and sorrowful songs for three separate indie albums, he was awarded the chance of a lifetime by director ...

Pros: Simply brilliant.
Cons: Like all Elliott Smith, it sound similar until you replay it.

XO was the second to last album released by Elliott Smith, on August 25, 1998. XO is Smith's wonderful blend of the breathy, acoustic, and depressive songs that came before this album, and the heavily arranged songs of ...

Pros: Elliott don't make no junk. One of his best albums.
Cons: If you like happy music, you won't like this.

If you aren't familiar with Elliott Smith's music, man are you missing out! I guess if you had to classify him, he would be some kind of acoustic rock or something like that. My friends and I like to call his style "sad bastard rock." I'll admit I ...

Pros: The best contemporary excursion into the realm of baroque pop, period
Cons: All of Smith's sonic successors have some obscenely large shoes to fill

This is, for all intents and purposes, my definitive statement on Elliott Smith and what I regard to be the best and most important installment in his repertoire, XO. Forgive me for my expository indulgences, but I find it somehow necessary to ...

Pros: Every aspect of this album
Cons: "Amity" doesn't quite fit the rest of the album

This hasn't been out of my CD player since I bought it. It may even come to rank as one of my all-time favourite CD's (along with XTC's "Skylarking" and Radiohead's "OK Computer"), such is my reverence for it. I had known of Elliott Smith for quite a ...

Pros: amazing lyrics, pretty songs
Cons: nope.

i love elliott smith. he writes the most brilliant, beautiful songs. it's unusual to come across music that is so listenable and so meaningful. the lyrics are easy to identify with, oftentimes depressing. elliott smith does both lyrics about internal...

Pros: The whole CD!
Cons: none

Elliott Smith is in a league off all of his own. His Indie-Folk ballads are nothing more than genius, and his talent is a treasure that was a true gift to this world, and was taken away too soon. Smith had a vastly talented repertoire of songs that ...

Pros: Fantastic melodic songs, brilliantly played and sung
Cons: Amity

Track-by-track review:-

SWEET ADELINE [8.5/10]

The opening track begins with a fabulous jaunty rhythm on acoustic guitar (going up and down the scale). Following the introduction of the vocals, the track is then embellished by...

Pros: A great sense of melody, mixed with haunting lyrics and a fragile voice
Cons: not enough songs!

Elliott Smith, formerly of the band Heatmiser, has released his most polished album to date with his Dreamworks debut, XO. Smith, best known for the acoustic folk/pop (for lack of a better term) that has made him an indie-hero in the Northwest, shifts...

Pros: Wonderful lyrics set to truly great music.
Cons: The song "Amity" - I don't know, it just bugs me.

After falling head over heels in love with Mr. Smith's latest release, "Figure 8," I found myself once again my local Borders standing smack in the middle of the S's. And there, behind three copies of "Figure 8" was "XO" -...

Pros: Beautiful melodies, touching lyrics
Cons: None

I bought XO after reading all the favorable reviews at Epinions. I must say that this record even has exceeded expectation. Before this album my only experience with Elliott Smith was "Miss Misery" from Goodwill Hunting. It was a great...

Pros: smooth, lovely, aural pleasure
Cons: some people say it's depressing

"ive got static in my head," he sings, "the reflected sound of everything." in his hands, though, the static takes on form and shape and voice (and oh, what a lovely voice it is-), and somewhere in his lament lies is an intangible...

Pros: talent, pure and simple
Cons: not for those with short attention spans

For a first-time listener, Elliott Smith's "XO" left me wanting so much more from the Portland, OR singer-songwriter. I immediately went to the web, tracked down his earlier works, and snapped them right up. Where had America been hiding...

Pros: The Whole 9 Yards
Cons: Nadda

Personally, I don't really like folkish music. I've always been one for the harder side of rock. I just could never get into people like Jewel because I can't feel their lyrics or their music. I just can't relate to them. It's always some Pollyanna views...

Pros: The songs are of true musical beauty
Cons: the song amity is a little jarring

In a perfect world, people would know about this album. Instead the only people who know of it are those who heard of it through word of mouth. Unfortunately there weren't enough people to give the word of mouth for it to be big. This is one of the best...