“Fans who hang on every word and every note. A major-label contract. Enough laudatory reviews to wallpaper the palace at Versailles. Even an Oscar nomination. You might think these considerations would bring a modicum of contentment to Elliott Smith on his fifth solo album, Figure 8. But you’d be underestimating the exquisite purity and commitment […]”
“Oh, Elliott. Are things really that bad? We've been listening to this grizzled old bastard's miseries since his self-titled, indier-than-Mary Lou Lord 1995 debut on Kill Rock Stars. And what has it gotten us? Well, those of us addicted to Smith's plug-and-play hooks got it in the ass-- we've invested well over $50 on his entire catalog. Ah, but it's a value, I guess. After all, it's a pretty rare ”
