“Speed Trials” introduces Either/Or by exploring a dominant theme in Smith’s work: substance use. Elliott Smith juxtaposed his introspective lyrics with dynamic chord progressions and chromatic melodies, defining himself as a newly solo artist. Heatmiser’s Mic City Sons was more subdued than their earlier work and bridged to the subtlety of Either/Or. The album was recorded, alongside Mic City Sons, throughout 19 in a makeshift studio called The Heatmiser House on SE Ankeny at 20th Avenue in Oregon. The album, loaded with symbolism and themes, connected deeply with his audience and Either/Or became his best-selling album.Īs Elliott Smith was a philosophy major in college, Either/Or’s title is a direct reference to Søren Kierkegaard’s book of the same name.

As his third solo album and first following the dissolution of Portland rock band Heatmiser, its twelve tracks embody his voice- raw, rough, and resilient- as it was before he signed a contract with DreamWorks Records. Released on February 25, 1997, Elliott Smith’s Either/Or comes in at just under thirty-seven minutes long.

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