A little over a year ago, singer-songwriter Elliott Smith was an ex-member of an obscure indie-rock band credited with a few cult releases on Washington's Kill Rock Stars label. Instantly validated by the success of Good Will Hunting and his attendant Oscar nomination for the song "Miss Misery," Smith has graduated to the bigs with this DreamWorks debut.
The album benefits from slightly improved production values and a glossier sound than Smith's previous outings, but the recipe is the same: slightly morose, introspective songs, tunefully crafted with the occasional obscenity tossed in for alt-rock cred.
At their best, the tracks on XO betray a fondness for neo-Beach Boys harmonizing and Wilson-esque sensitivity; at their worst, which happily isn't very often, they skew towards cloying Crosby, Stills & Nash-like chirping.
In general, though, this is solid stuff that bears comparison with labelmate Rufus Wainwright's snappy debut.
