From one and a half minutes in, it’s obvious that XO is not just another Elliott Smith record.
The loud explosion of noise in album-opener ‘Sweet Adeline’ signalled exactly what XO would be: a defiant, diverse, and emotional release that displays Elliott Smith’s full potential and immense talents.
15 years on, XO is still an entrancing, and at times harrowing listen with many of the lyrics taking on new, painful meanings following Smith’s tragic death in October 2003, five years after the record’s release.
XO was Smith’s fourth LP, but his first with a major label, Dreamworks Records, and despite the much increased budget and pressures, it still retains his creativity and understated brilliance. It is no doubt the ‘biggest’ and most ambitious album that he released, but it’s also the most restrained and subtle, as well as his highest selling.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Smith spoke about this transition to a major label, saying “sometimes people look at major labels as simply money-making machines, they’re actually composed of individuals who are real people, and there’s a part of them that needs to feel that part of their job is to put out good music”.
As with all of Elliott Smith’s work, XO is intensely personal with devastatingly vulnerable lyrics. The singer fell into depression following signing with the label, and attempted to take his life on at least one occasion. The album was written during this time, and this debilitating emotional struggle is reflected across the 14 songs.
“Smith’s own music has served as this ‘puzzle piece’ in many people’s lives, often communicating, and putting to words and music what others couldn’t.”XO is strongly introspective, displaying the brutal self-consciousness and low self-esteem that Smith could tragically not overcome as many songs seemingly see him talking directly to himself and his troubles.
This is seen on ‘Oh Well, Okay’, when Smith describes someone who “couldn’t figure out what made [them] so unhappy”, while ‘Pitseleh’ sees him lament “I’m not half what I wish I was” in a fragile voice that seems constantly on the verge of tears.
That same song also includes the line “I could never be the puzzle pieces”, but Smith’s own music has served as this ‘puzzle piece’ in many people’s lives, often communicating, and putting to words and music what others couldn’t.
‘I Didn’t Understand’ is the most intimately introspective song on XO, detailing a brutally real search for happiness and meaning, where Smith confides that “you’d soon be leaving me alone like I’m supposed to be tonight, tomorrow, and everyday” .
‘Pitseleh’
‘Oh Well, Okay’
The concluding line of “you once talked to me about love and you painted pictures of a never-neverland / I could have gone to that place / But I didn’t understand” typifies a lot of the themes that pervade Smith’s work; a poetic, confronting, and understated search for reason.
There’s one thing that Elliott Smith doesn’t get completely right though. The line “there’s nothing here that you’ll miss” has been proved obviously wrong following his death, with an overwhelming outpouring of grief and adoration still felt across the world ten years later.
This is a testament to Smith’s remarkable ability to emotionally connect directly with the listener, most evident on this, the album in question. Every song no doubt has its own personal meanings and stories behind them for Smith, but the true beauty of his music is that so many people have been able to make their own interpretations. It’s subtle and ambiguous enough for anyone and everyone to relate it to their own life and troubles, and meaningful enough to make a real difference. It’s something truly special that only music can achieve.
XO came only five months after Smith achieved widespread fame and recognition following his music being featured in Good Will Hunting, culminating with a performance at The Academy Awards, but according to the Nebraskan-born musician, this success didn’t have a big affect on him. “I don’t feel like things are very changed,” he said in an interview on a Dutch TV show. “I do the same things that I did before, I think about the same things, I’m the wrong kind of person to be really big and famous.”
He would only go on to release one more full-length completed album, 2000’s Figure 8, and although still an impressive and fantastic release, it never reached the heights of its predecessor. XO was the pinnacle of Elliott Smith’s career, combining all aspects of his abundant talents.
Every element of the record is carefully and delicately crafted; every single second of the record, every note, every guitar pick, every piano key, and every word, is encompassed in such emotion and meaning so that there isn’t a single wasted moment on the record.
On ‘Independence Day’, Smith implores an unknown friend, that could well be himself, that things will be okay, and to be patient. Lines such as “it’s gonna happen soon / But not today” and “everybody knows you only live a day / But it’s brilliant anyway” display a positive and somewhat optimistic side to his songwriting, one that is often overlooked in countless reviews and retrospectives.
The defiance that pervades XO is most obvious on ‘Bled White’, an equally angry and infectious song. It’s a defiance against his own struggles, against people’s perceptions, and against his failed relationships. Smith’s voice is powerful as he demands “don’t you dare disturb me while I’m balancing my past / Don’t complicate my peace of mind”, and it seemed at this point, that the troubled artist was finally ready to move on from this past and from some people’s preconceived notions of him.
‘Waltz #2’
‘Independence Day’
‘Waltz #2’ is arguably the perfect Elliott Smith song, incorporating all of the best qualities of his music: the relatable lyrics, the infectious piano melody, and the hushed, pained vocals. It’s widely regarded to be about the singer’s relationship with his mother and abusive step-father, and the lyrics are obviously very close to home for Smith. The faltering delivery of “And XO, Mum / It’s okay, it’s alright, nothing’s wrong” is heartbreaking, and says so much in so few words.
The lyrics and general themes can often be very heavy-going, and yet, listening to them prove to be a cathartic experience, and there are countless moments of poetic genius and beauty, that makes listening a truly satisfying experience.
“‘Waltz #2’, arguably the perfect Elliott Smith song, incorporates the best qualities of his music: relatable lyrics, an infectious piano melody, and hushed, pained vocals”Even the record’s title reflects this focus on faltering relationships and a general disconnection from this around him, with ‘XO’ denoting some form of affection, but a distant, indirect one that lacks a personal touch.
For as brilliant a lyricist Smith was, he was arguably a better technical musician. His guitar playing verged on a virtuoso-level, especially the fleeting finger-picking on the likes of ‘Independence Day’ and ‘Tomorrow Tomorrow’. Smith played nearly every instrument on XO and displayed an array of diverse talents on every one that he touched.
‘Baby Britain’ is Elliott Smith at his most Beatles-esque, a bouncy, infectious pop song, led by piano, while ‘Amity’ is one of the more ‘straight-up rock’ songs that he’s ever written, loud and energetic, and even allowing Smith’s guitar skills to shine through in a solo.
‘Waltz #1’ is enchanting and utterly mesmerizing, with complementing piano and restrained electric guitar; it’s one of the songs where everything else just completely stops while you listen to it, it demands complete focus and attention to its intricacies.
‘A Question Mark’ shows his more eccentric side, with eclectic saxophone jumping across the song, and the melody across ‘Bottle Up And Explode’ is simply irresistible.
‘Baby Britain’
‘A Question Mark’
XO is also by far Smith’s best produced and sounding album, with the most polished and refined sound that he would produce in his career. Smith recruited Rob Schnapf (who also contributed guitar on ‘Baby Britain’) and Tom Rothrock, who has worked with the likes of Beck, Foo Fighters, and Badly Drawn Boy, for production duties, and it’s easy to see where the extra budget went.
The brilliance of XO ensured that Elliott Smith’s legacy would live on through the countless musicians and individuals inspired and influenced by what he left behind.
The folk-stylings and hushed vocals on display across the record undoubtedly inspired the likes of Bright Eyes, Iron And Wine, Death Cab For Cutie, and many others. Conor Oberst has often described his love for Smith’s music, as has Death Cab’s Ben Gibbard.
Smith’s dark and emotionally-wrenching lyrics are reflected in bands like Neutral Milk Hotel, The National and Okkervil River, while a whole article could be written on the array of musicians that his music in general has influenced.
XO has only gotten better with age, and it still packs as big an emotional punch as it did 15 years ago. Its brilliance only serves to further highlight the striking talent that we tragically lost a decade ago. Not surprisingly, Elliott Smith sums up this devastating loss better than any of us can: “I’m never going to know you now, but I’m going to love you anyhow”.
