XO

这是Elliott Smith与DreamWorks签订合同后第一张专集，他并没有羞于把《X0》当作他天赋的成果之一推广开来。Smith的歌曲保持惯有的强烈的反省性，但是披头士化的作品提供了一种非常吸引人的对立面。专辑中甜蜜的昏暗的旋律通过一些细节性的安排被巧妙的带到了生活中，他们的卖点是Smith痛苦的音乐——这些音乐在旋律上容易被接受，但是歌曲的内容到底是什么往往在以后的回味中才能被发现。那是一个出色的艺术家的标志，《X0》证明了Elliott Smith不仅仅懂得打造一首歌词，而且清楚的知道如何制造一个受欢迎的流行专辑。（转自 华声论坛）

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

A year before his major-label debut, XO, was released, it seemed unlikely that Elliott Smith would even be on a major, let alone having his record be one of the more anticipated releases of 1998. He had certainly earned a great deal of critical respect with his low-key, acoustic indie records and was emerging as a respected songwriter, but he hadn't made much of an impression outside of journalists, record collectors, and indie rockers. An Oscar nomination can change things, however. "Miss Misery," one of Smith's elegantly elegiac songs for Gus Van Sant's Good Will Hunting, unexpectedly earned an Academy Award nomination, and he was immediately thrust into the spotlight. He was reluctant to embrace instant celebrity, yet he didn't refuse a contract with DreamWorks, and he didn't shy away from turning XO into a glorious fruition of his talents. Smith's songs remain intensely introspective, yet the lush, Beatlesque production provides a terrifically charming counterpoint. His sweetly dark melodies are vividly brought to life with the detailed arrangements, and they sell Smith's tormented songs -- it's easy to get caught up in the tunes and the sound of the record, then realize later what the songs are actually about. That's a sign of a good craftsman, and XO proves that not only can Elliott Smith craft a song, but he knows how to make an alluring pop record as well.