I've heard plenty of folk singers. I've heard numerous indie rock artists, too. The amalgamation that Elliott Smith was able to accomplish in his relatively short career is something endearingly blissful.

Smith's music is able to instill urgency and a numbing melancholy in one fell swoop; two of my favorite tracks of his that exemplifies this trait well are "Christian Brothers" and "Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands". His material with Heatmiser goes in a different direction, though those overtones of discomfort still sit comfortably next to the harder rock sound.

One of my utmost favorite aspects of Smith's music is his production method. Prior to Figure 8, he'd simply sit down, play into his 4-track recorder, and that could be the extent of it. I love it. It's been quite inspirational listening to his stripped-back tracks in my studio while perusing my dad's massive guitar collection, figuring out what could be.