Elliot Smith

"From a Basement on a Hill"

Epitaph Records

Grade: A

It is a surreal moment as folk-punk musician Elliot Smith sings, "I can't prepare for death any more than I already have," during "King's Crossing," a track on his new CD "From a Basement on a Hill."

The 34-year-old singer/songwriter's life ended last October, in an apparent suicide, leaving his fan following shocked and grieving the loss.

The CD, released Oct. 19, was Smith's final project -- a labor that lasted years, mostly in his home studio.

Smith's sound can be compared to Simon and Garfunkel, the Beatles and much of the music from the '60s and '70s.

The music is mellow, and the lyrics are honest.

From the soothing slow melody and light words of "A Fond Farewell," to the musical complexity of "Shooting Star," Smith changes the style of each song for a variety of pleasing tunes throughout the album.

The track "Ostriches and Chirping" is, in fact, a sample of sounds of ostriches and chirping, which lasts all of 32 seconds.

It mimics postmodern trends, such as leaving a piece of canvas white and calling it art.

For art like this, Smith has been dubbed an underground musical genius.

The songs "Let's Get Lost," "Pretty (Ugly Before)" and "Don't Go Down" have catchy tunes which will get stuck in the listener's head only after repetitive listening.

Smith first went mainstream with his Academy Award nominated song "Miss Misery" for the "Goodwill Hunting" Soundtrack in 1997.

Now, eight years later, Smith is back in the spotlight for this album, one of his finest pieces of work, ironically released after his death.

Perhaps the lyrics from "Memory Lane" sum up everything: "This is the place you end up when you lose the chase, when you're dragged against your will from a basement on a hill." Ê

-- By Julie Miller

Associate Managing Editor