Elliott Smith ‎– From A Basement On The Hill

From A Basement On The Hill was the final record (as well as a posthumurous release) by Elliott Smith and definitely one of the best works published under the name. With tracks like Pretty (Ugly Before), Twilight, and A Passing Feeling, we get a very "old-school" Elliott Smith sound; doubled up vocal tracks, wide ranged and complicated yet easy-on-the-ears guitar tracking, and a very minimal use of other instruments, yet with the opening track and a few others that follow, we're given a very large and often a harder approach being quite the opposite of Steven Paul's previous works. This album very blatantly represents a changing sound in Elliott Smith's music and a sort of re-inspiration that would've become a possible new direction for the group. With the unfortunate events in mind that came just two years later, the lyrics feel almost like a premonition to a dismal end as the album ends on a sort of "down-note", almost seeming incomplete. For anyone just getting into Elliott Smith, Chutes and Ladders (Live), Johnny Panic (Live), Stranger Than Fiction, or A Murder Of Crows or devout fans of Steven Paul, this record is a must own, a must listen, and a timeless studio album to be shared throughout generations.