Elliott Smith – XO LP Online

XO is the fourth studio album by singer songwriter Elliott Smith. It was recorded from 1997 to 1998 and released on August 25, 1998 by record label DreamWorks; Smith s first solo album on a major record label. Two singles, Waltz #2 (XO) and Baby Britain , were released. An early working title for the album was Grand Mal. The title of the first track, Sweet Adeline , was inspired by Smith s recollections of his grandmother singing in her glee club, Sweet Adelines International. Amity is believed to be named after a friend who can be seen in photographs from Smith s 1997 tour. XO was well received by critics upon it s release. Mark Richardson of Pitchfork Media wrote, Smith s songwriting continues to improve, as each of [the album s] fourteen tracks displays his inarguable mastery of the pop song structure more clearly than ever. In it s retrospective review, BBC Music wrote, the budget might have gone up, but Smith s masterful way with an understated melody and melancholic lyric remained firmly intact , calling XO perhaps the greatest long-player Smith released; if not, it s certainly the equal of the preceding Either Or. Repeat listens don t dull it in the slightest, every barbed one-liner and exhalation of despair perfectly preserved .