It’s been seven years since the passing of American indie folk singer Elliott Smith: a gifted yet tormented songwriter best known for providing the soundtrack to Good Will Hunting.  Citing Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel and The Beatles as his inspiration, this album is a crafted collection of Smith’s works that encourages the unfamiliar listener to explore his influential music.

‘Ballad of Big Nothing’ sets the melancholic tone for Smith’s whispered, brooding ‘Alameda’ with its beautiful multi-tracked harmonies.  Intimate lyrics wrecked by personal demons, the angst-filled ‘Needle in the Hay’ and the raw ‘Last Call’ are perhaps the most heart-wrenching tracks of the album.  Finishing with the uplifting ‘Happiness’, this is an understated compilation album that fully deserves your time and appreciation.