Elliot Smith fits the definition of “tortured artist” pretty cleanly. His childhood in Texas and the divorce of his parents contributed to enduring problems with depression, addiction, and suicidal tendencies. But the cliche fails to encompass his virtuosity and songwriting genius. On the song “In the Lost and Found,” Smith layers his trademark whisper over beautifully sparse piano that points to the song’s allusive subtitle—”Honky Bach.” “Stay with me,” he sings, “hanging around in the lost and found.”
Song of the Day: “In the Lost and Found”
Max Gray
Read more of Max Gray at Big City Sasquatch or follow him on Twitter @City_Sasquatch. His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in Encounters, Mount Hope, Conte, tNY.press, and English Kills Review. He co-hosts the etymology podcast Words For Dinner and is a graduate of the Rutgers-Newark MFA program.