{"product_id":"xo-1","title":"Xo","description":"Amazon.com\n\nOn XO, Elliott Smith leaves the indie doldrums behind and takes wing to new, lush surroundings. By adding full instrumentation to his acoustic reveries, Smith has ascended to a new level of songwriting that shores up his gentle voice and country-tinged guitar playing with extra layers of vocal arrangements and charming piano vamps. Strains of classic rock filter into the Beatlesque \"Baby Britain\" and the Beach Boys-inspired \"I Didn't Understand,\" but Smith succeeds in adapting them to his style rather than the other way around. A foot soldier in DreamWorks' war on standard-issue rock \u0026amp; roll, Smith joins new label mates Rufus Wainwright and Morphine as sophisticated interpreters of the new male psyche. XO is a stunning shadow print of a soul adrift in the music industry, a dark place indeed. --Lois Maffeo\n\nProduct Description\n\nElliott Smith honed his craft performing in the Portland music scene both as a solo artist and with the rock unit Heatmiser (his solo career spawned 3 albums, and Smith's Heatmiser days yielded 3 more albums). Currently, the singer\/songwriter is best known for his Oscar nomination for his contribution of \"Miss Misery\" to director\/friend Gus Van Sant's Academy Award-winning film Good Will Hunting. Highlights on XO include \"Tomorrow Tomorrow\" and \"Waltz.\"\n\nReview\n\nXO ... features [Elliott Smith's] most adventurous music ever, opening up his acoustic flow with piano, horns, vocal overdubs, even a string section. -- Rolling Stone\n\nXO is Smith's major-label debut, and instead of opting to become the new Richard Marx for the occasion--something that might have suited him--he's chosen idiosyncratic new Domino signings Quasi as his backing band. Compared with the sparseness of his debut \"Roman Candle,\" even that's a commercial extravagance--piano, brass and flute plumping up these skinny songs like a shot of steroids. -- New Musical Express\n\nEven though he's a master melodist, he's too modest to shove his tunes in your face; they just hang around like stray dogs shown kindness for the first time. -- Spin\n\nFor better and sometimes for worse, Smith ... gives voice to his generation's romantic cynicism and diminished expectations. -- Entertainment Weekly\n\nModestly dramatic musical shifts ... push XO leaps and bounds beyond his previous work.... Smith's orchestral maneuvers compose a flowery pop symphony. From the choral-like harmonies ... to the richly textured ambience of Baby Britain... Smith recalls the best of the late-era Beatles, Badfinger and the Zombies. -- No Depression\n\nWith his unusual gift for melody amid a melody-poor generation of rockers, Mr. Smith may be the most fully formed singer-songwriter to come along since Elvis Costello.... -- The New York Times\n\n[Elliott Smith's] beautifully orchestrated pop radiates a humming energy, countering a breathy, anemic voice that perfectly conveys ... intimate and morose sentiments.... -- USA Today\u003cbr\u003eASIN: B00000AEF9\u003cbr\u003eVSKU: DBV.B00000AEF9.G\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Good\u003cbr\u003eAuthor\/Artist:Smith, Elliott\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Audio cd\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNote:\u003c\/b\u003e Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition Notes\u003c\/b\u003e: Individually inspected: Guaranteed to play perfectly or your money back. Case may show wear and may be in library packaging. Ships Fast!  \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Dream Books Co.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41664031883322,"sku":"DBV.B00000AEF9.G","price":8.29,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/6011\/0138\/files\/B00000AEF9-0.jpg?v=1789873049","url":"https:\/\/shop.dreambooksco.com\/products\/xo-1","provider":"Dream Books Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}