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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

From A Basement On The Hill
by Elliott Smith


9.4

based on 37 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 53 votes
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Figure 8

The late singer-songwriter was nearly done with this highly anticipated album at the time of his death in 2003.

LABEL:	Anti
RELEASE DATE:	19 October 2004
DISCS:	1 disc
GENRE(S):	Indie, Rock, Singer-Songwriter

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Splendid

It's simply wonderful -- bristling with pop masterpieces large and small, and reassuringly unburdened by Smith's deep-seated malaise.

100

The Guardian

You are drawn to the conclusion that these songs would be remarkable regardless of the circumstances in which they were written.

100

Alternative Press

Every track on Basement is a highlight. [Nov 2004, p.150]

100

Tiny Mix Tapes

If you're not moved in some way, you don't move.

100

Los Angeles Times

Freed from the more formal sound and circumstances of his previous work, Smith indulged without being indulgent, and the revelation here is the exuberant, instinctive, playful and daring sonic pilot who was hidden inside the meticulous craftsman of such albums as "XO" and "Figure 8." [10 Oct 2004]

100

E! Online

Exquisite, angry, sad and personal, basement is a beautiful swan song of one of this generation's best.

Spin

Smith's intentions cry out from the album's every discordant corner--he clearly wanted to test himself, to unhinge parts of his sound. [Nov 2004, p.105]

Filter

Large and epic, but tense and claustrophobic as well, and gratefully, it's as close to Elliott as we've ever been. [#12, p.92]

Entertainment Weekly

The record is strong and radiant, if not always upbeat.... One of the best he ever made. [22 Oct 2004, p.92]

Stylus Magazine

From a Basement on the Hill is a far better album than it has any right to be, with its bizarre sequencing and improbable ambitions.

PopMatters

Review #1: A decisive triumph, and probably a personal best for Smith [score=90]; Review #2: May be Smith's finest. [score=90]

All Music Guide

While it's likely that From a Basement is cleaner than what Smith... intended, it is much sparer than Figure 8, and it feels at once more adventurous, confident, and warmer than its predecessor.

Planet

Marks the crown atop Elliott's other five albums: a unique gift from a huge-hearted musician. [#8, p.79]

Under The Radar

There is a certain confidence inherent in these tracks, as if Smith had finally proven to himself that he didn't need to try to outdo The Beatles in his arrangements. [#7]

New Musical Express

While this is clearly not the record Smith intended to make, it's still an immensely gripping and cohesive piece of work. [23 Oct 2004, p.47]

Delusions of Adequacy

A far better album than it has any right to be.

Playlouder

An unfinished album, and also a beautifully accomplished one.

cokemachineglow

The album is, in short, phenomenal. It certainly doesn’t match the beauty and heartbreak of Either/Or (1997), but it manages to recapture the spirit of that record while properly articulating the orchestration that Elliott had been working with for Figure 8 and XO (1998).

Q Magazine

This is largely intense, liberated stuff. [Nov 2004, p.111]

Uncut

From A Basement... returns us to the more unfiltered, denuded sound of his earlier [albums]. [Nov 2004, p.106]

Blender

His bleakness was never this naked or all-consuming. [Nov 2004, p.143]

Billboard

Smith bundles subtlety and ferocity to create one of his heart-aching best.

Drowned In Sound

The most fitting of testaments -- a flawed, courageous, beautiful and intimately human portrait of the self.

Dusted Magazine

On the whole Basement is noisy and rough, and often sounds more like the best record Heatmiser never made than the next Elliott Smith album.

The New York Times

The low-fi yet meticulous arrangements only add to the sense of isolation and the poignancy of the songs. [18 Oct 2004]

Launch.com

One of his best.

Mojo

As ever, his chord changes and arrangements betray an inventiveness seemingly borne of brilliant instinct. [Nov 2004, p.92]

Austin Chronicle

More structured and electric than Either/Or, but without the overproduction of Figure 8, Basement is the next logical step.

ShakingThrough.net

Hill feels more like a retrospective than a steady gallop toward the next stage in Smith's artistic advancement.

Pitchfork

The most disheartening thing about From a Basement on the Hill is its plainness-- it's neither a perfect record (and not one of Smith's best) nor the kind of colossal disaster that could be angrily pinned on money-hungry handlers and desperate fans.

The Onion (AV Club)

Slightly overlong and sometimes stitched-together, From A Basement On The Hill sags in spots.... Yet in the end, the album still earns its place--not at the top, and unfortunately as a bookend--in a jarringly important body of work.

No Ripcord

The good news is that there is no real filler on the album, but this uniformity of quality equates to an album where every song is good, but where few are really great.

Rolling Stone

This is an album about the seductions of oblivion, and a few of the more densely arranged songs mimic the characters in the lyrics, stumbling around without quite connecting.

Paste Magazine

A fitting farewell to a distinctive voice silenced too early.

Dot Music

A fine collection of songs from an immensely talented, tragically lost soul.

Almost Cool

While it makes a lot of musical leaps (it's probably the most "experimental" work he's done), not all of them work, but there are still some great moments for fans of his work here.

Neumu.net

This final record is neither focused nor infallible, instead a rarer glimpse at a man whose creative doorways, once the source of so much hope and inspiration, had become outnumbered by his demons.

The average user rating for this album is 9.4 (out of 10) based on 53 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

joe s gave it an8:
its a sad reality that the death of an artist can make his work more powerful. A better album than figure 8, but not the same league as his three earlier masterpieces. fond farewell would not be song it is if elliot was alive, it just wouldnt carry the same meaning. But the point is i guess that it just does - the whole album shimmers in tradagy - but music icons, geniuses shouldnt have to die to make powerful, beautiful music

[Anonymous] gave it a10:
it is amazing it is a great legacy to the artist. and his music will live on with us forever.

Paul H gave it a6:
this album isn't as good as they all say, it's not bad but it's Elliott's weakest album. but critics always do this to people who have just died, just like George Harrison and Warren Zevon's last albums which also weren't that great. Still though Elliott Smith was amazing and he'll be missed.

Mike V gave it a10:
Ideally the track order would've been arranged differently. That really is my only complaint. I think "King's Crossing" should have been more toward the end, and that "Last Hour" would have been a fitting final song. His guitar playing is less prominent on this album, but this album packs a lot of power and emotion into it. I'd say people who aren't Elliott fans already should start with Either/Or. Anyone that is an Elliott fan should already have this. I think the review from Tiny Mix Tapes says it all.

Mike M gave it a9:
A really good album that might not be his best but is up there. It definitely gets better with time

Adam G gave it a10:
This album is like a fine wine. It gets better with age. I like it more and more every time I listen to it.

Lily D gave it a10:
Gets better and better with each listen. In time, this man will be properly regarded as the musical genius he was. The groundswell is already building.

From A Basement On The Hill by Elliott Smith

From A Basement On The Hill
by Elliott Smith