Either/Or

Album review

The history of rock loves fallen angels and geniuses with tragic stories. In this dark no man's land, Kurt Cobain and Jeff Buckley were joined by Elliott Smith. Only a few albums were needed for the Nebraska songwriter to reveal his sensitive voice, his exquisitely refined melodies and his intense lyrics, which offered up an elegant alternative to the dominating grunge of the ‘90s. Either/Or was his third album, released in February 1997, on which Nick Drake's ghost from Pink Moon is almost audible. But Elliott Smith also remained sensitive to pop melodies, the kind produced by The Beatles, The Kinks, The Zombies and Big Star, a sound that he stripped back to reach complete purity. Following Roman Candle (1994) and Elliott Smith (1995), he further amplified his vocal harmonies and showed that he was fully in control of his art despite the demons (of addiction and depression) that were eating away at him. Impressed by the musician's calibre, the filmmaker Gus Van Sant integrated the songs Between the Bars, Angeles and Say Yes into the soundtrack of his film Good Will Hunting. When you consider this, it’s hardly surprising that some refer to Elliott Smith as the "voice of a generation". © Marc Zisman/Qobuz