Figure That?

Moving right along in our blogging world, I'd like to introduce a new artist. His first name is Elliot, his last name is Smith, and his album is called Figure 8.

Now, before I get into this album, I would just like to say, rest in peace Mr. Smith. If you didn't know, Elliot Smith died in 2003, after (allegedly) stabbing himself in the chest twice. I'm sad we never got the chance to see this young man grow as an musician, and a man. I also want to say that, after looking over this guy's life story, I'm happy he was able to break into the music world. He suffered through abuse, drug addiction, and alcohol issues, but still had the guts to show his stuff. And for that, I truly respect him and any artist that overcomes life's crazy obstacles to do what they love.

Now, to the album. This is the fifth studio album of Smith's, and I have to say, it reminded me of Owl City's Of June. While Of June is a great album, it's also a newbie album. Figure 8 has one or two good hits, but it's mostly the same old same old. I tried hard to get into this music, which could be best classified as a pop/indie mix, better, but could not. Some songs, like my personal favorites, "Junk Bond Trader" and "Son Of Sam" show some real promise. This guy showed some real promise, but he left us too quickly.

The first half is more entertaining than the bottom half. Tracks six through sixteen, in my opinion, are background music. And while it's definitely cool to have some slower songs, this album was full of it. Some songs were even kind of melancholy. Sometimes he just sounded like he was trying to mimic someone else.

The thing is, I felt like, when I was listening, he showed so much promise, so much potential for the future. Smith has a beautiful voice, and you can tell he's enjoying the music he's making. Don't always believe what you read, though. When it was released in 2000, this album got mostly positive reviews. Just because we didn't like it doesn't mean that you won't. The music wasn't for us, but, hey! It could be the perfect fit for you.

Go figure,
Rai

P.S- His album cover is definitely in the running for coolest! The wall where he took the picture is now iconic, and it is also a fan-based memorial. A little like Strawberry Fields.