Published on Dec 2, 1998
I wasn’t sure how I’d like this disc, but I’ve ended up loving
it.
At first, I listened over and over and couldn’t quite “get it.”
Was it merely an airy, light pop confection or was there some guts
hidden in there? After repeated listens, I’d have to affirm that
experiencing
XO is like biting into a candy bar with a razor blade hidden
inside. The music seems all fluffy and sweet, but the lyrics bite
back with a vengeance.
Smith has honed to perfection the concept of the flawless
three-minute pop song, filling this disc with many numbers even
coming in at 2:30 or slightly less. The songs reminded me
alternatively of the Beach Boys’
Pet Sounds to Chris Stamey’s version of the db’s pop songs.
Smith’s vocals alternatively have the rasp and vigor or surprising
tenderness of early Alex Chilton circa Big Star. Considering those
comparisons, this guy has my vote for a great pop force.
With his lush acoustic arrangements and heart-melting harmonies,
Smith has put together a collection of songs that are a vocal opus
to disillusioned love wrapped up in a gossamer musical package. He
convincingly portrays the wide-eyed shock of a lover left in the
dust through his sweet vocals without being cloying. His themes
range from alienation and confusion about love to simply being
blind about it.
One moment he’s not wanting to know where his lover is because
he doesn’t believe he’s “the puzzle pieces” of love’s solution.
Next, in the one stinging example of lyrical anger in “I Didn’t
Understand”, he alternatively laments “What a fucking joke” the
relationship has become to his own self deprecation of “I always
feel like shit.” Despite his rather pessimistic view of love, he
never seems to fully blame his lovers for screwing things up, or
least they aren’t implicated as the real reason love has failed or
deserted him. Smith fairly croaks with “Oh Well OK” that he
“couldn’t figure out what made you so unhappy.” Apparently, the
cause and the blame fall mostly on his shoulders.
The closing track, “I Didn’t Understand”, a musically angelic
ode to love lost, conjures:
“You’ll soon be leaving me
Alone like I’m suppose to be
Tonight, tomorrow and everyday
There’s nothing here you’ll miss.”
Something tells me this is a guy with a road littered with
broken love affairs or at least one very unhappy breakup that
influenced the entire album’s worth of gut-wrenching misery.
My favorite tracks on the disc change daily, depending on the
dourness of my own emotional mood. “Sweet Adeline” has sweeping,
rapturous melodies, nicely augmented by some backing strings and
Smith’s acoustically innocent vocals. “Waltz #2,” perhaps one of
the best tracks along with “Waltz #1,” showcases Smith’s ability to
write dejectedly and angrily but is contradicted through the
vulnerability his voice projects to the true nature of his
emotions. “Waltz #1” is as slippery and dreamlike as a Bach minuet
and most reminded me of Chris Stamey’s ballads such as “I’m In
Love.”
My other current favorite that keeps running through my head
over and over is “Amity,” a song showcasing Smith’s ability to do
falsetto singing as well as Chilton did on
Radio City during his heyday.
Smith’s absolute obsession with love’s pitfalls never gets too
overbearing or self-pitying . This difficult balance is
accomplished mostly from Smith’s ability to use his voice as an
instrument which has just the right soft touch. He may be singing
about dark despair but he sprinkles in those confetti-spun vocals
and melodies and you just can’t feel completely gloomy while giving
this disc a serious listen.
My only true criticism of this disc is the songs sound too much
alike. There is no great variance in the theme, musically or
emotionally, on
XO. But then again, doesn’t that make his argument stronger
as his point seems to be there is no sense or happiness within
love’s treacherous grip?
My advice is to listen to this disc a lot. It’s something that
grows on you slowly and blossoms with each listen. If you’ve
recently broken up with someone (or wish you could), this is
definitely a well-suited tonic for the love damaged and love
challenged.
So, lay back, take a deep breath, and revel in this beautiful
and melancholic record. Somehow, Smith manages to make you feel
like even though love stinks, it can still be a beautiful,
cathartic experience. And
XO is just the vehicle to purge your dispirited romantic
soul.