Elliott Smith is one of the rare folk singers I regularly look forward to listening to. Figure 8 goes from the simple strum of an acoustic guitar to the honky-tonk flavor on the opening track, “Son Of Sam”.
It seems Elliott Smith has been bitten by the love bug. Track after track is about love lost and found, and are as favorable for sunny days as a thunderstorm. “Somebody That I Used To Know” is tender with a pretty country walk. “Everything Reminds Me Of Her” is more like a downpour on a picnic of happiness. “Pretty Mary K” takes you down a road of heartbreak and joy.
Even the classic rock guitar licks on “LA” can’t overpower Smith’s gentle voice as the focus. “In The Lost And Found (Honky Bach)” dances along to a honky-tonk piano that sounds like it could have come from a music box with the little ballerina dancing around for eternity. And there may not be a more beautiful Elliott Smith song than “Easy Way Out”. His voice is tender as a lamb yet sharp as a razor blade.
Toe tapping and hand clapping come to mind when thinking about “Wouldn’t Mama Be Proud”. It’s just a perfectly crafted pop song. The bridge is fantastic as the arrangements take you over momentarily, and then comes a fireside sing-a-long called “Color Bars”.
Figure 8 ends with a nice little orchestration, simply titled “Bye”. What a perfect way to end a perfect album.
+ rae gun
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