There is something about Elliott Smith’s songwriting that pulls out heavy, hard-to-explain emotions. These emotions lie in limbo between anger and sadness, with tinges of love and tinges of hate. I found out about Elliott Smith during my senior year of high school, which was a time of my life that really reflected the themes of his music. I was painfully tired, depressed, and my relationship with my family was strained. After listening to Miss Misery (Early Version), I felt strangely comforted by Smith’s whispering voice, reflecting those feelings of anger turning into cold apathy. Accompanied only by a guitar, songs like Angel in the Snow and Whatever (Folk Song in C) capture the loneliness and yearning that I was so preoccupied by back then.

Thankfully, I can now listen to Elliott Smith without bursting into tears immediately. However, I still feel like I need a hug after hearing his music. Listening to New Moon almost feels like reading his personal diary. He truly has a way of making you feel sorry for yourself and for him.