September 29, 2004 | Posted by David B. at 10:27 AM

London Bridge is safe and sound

from a basement on the hill

Elliott Smith's last album, from a basement on the hill, comes out on October 19, two days before the first anniversary of his death. Word on the street is that it's very, very good; full of the usual heartbreaking but elegant music Smith was known for. Hill's label, Anti-, has posted two mp3s from the record:

Memory Lane

Twilight

Also, you can find the following track on the Future Soundtrack For America compilation:

A Distorted Reality Is Now A Necessity To Be Free

I have no idea if that last one is going to be on hill in that form, but it's on the tracklist.
These are about what you'd expect for Elliott Smith songs, and for an artist whose work was so consistently excellent, that's all you can ask for. I especially like "Memory Lane", which sounds like some of the songs on Smith's self-titled album, with clearer production.
I have a feeling that for those of us who had a rough time last October, from a basement on the hill will be very bittersweet; a kind of closure to something none of us wanted to happen. Though I wish I didn't have to, I'm looking forward to hearing it.

[Pre-order from a basement on the hill here and buy Future Soundtrack For America here.]

Comments

You can also hear "A Distorted Reality..." on the "Pretty (Ugly Before)" 7" released sometime last year by Suicide Squeeze.

Posted by: adam w. at September 29, 2004 5:13 PM

the 7" version is different..i prefer it to the new version myself. i really like these 2 songs.

Posted by: Ambrose Chapel at September 29, 2004 6:45 PM

I really like the stuff off the "new" Elliott Smith album

I still find it hard to listen to though, and cannot believe that it is a year already since he died.

It is with no understatement that I say how sad it was that he left. From what I could gather from his music, he was too sensitive a soul for this world.

To quote E from The Eels, 'Elliott was a really sweet guy that wasn't equipped to deal with some of the cards that life dealt him.'

I think you only need to listen to the music that Elliott left behind to see how sweet he was, and sadly, how ill-equipped.

Posted by: Ross at September 29, 2004 8:17 PM

eerily strumming from beyond, RIP elliot, this world, perhaps, was never meant for you. thanks, though.

Posted by: factoryrecords1982 at September 30, 2004 12:09 PM
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