Reviews

Rolling Stone (p.98) - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 - "This is an album about the seductions of oblivion...Smith teases extraordinary wit and warmth from songs that float lazily toward happiness."

Rolling Stone (p.151) - Included in Rolling Stone's Top 50 Records Of 2004 - "[A] gripping trip to oblivion, sparkling with barbed wit and elegantly tangled guitars."

Spin (pp.105-6) - "Smith's intentions cry out from the album's every discordant corner - he clearly wanted to test himself, to unhinge parts of his sound....In the music, in these songs, the guy's still with us." - Grade: A-

Spin (p.67) - Ranked #6 in Spin's "40 Best Albums of the Year" - "BASEMENT feels monumentally final..."

Entertainment Weekly (pp.92-3) - "The record is strong and radiant..." - Grade: A-

Mojo (p.92) - 4 stars out of 5 - "As ever, his chord changes and arrangements betray an inventiveness seemingly borne of brilliant instinct."

Uncut (p.106) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[He] was great....Here are 15 more reasons not to forget Elliott Smith's harrowing sadness - and his singular musical intelligence."

Uncut (p.75) - Ranked #8 in Uncut's "Best New Albums of 2004" - "[T]he songs are variously full of hope, frustration and weary resignation..."

Alternative Press (p.150) - 5 out of 5 - "[E]very track on BASEMENT is a highlight."