'Bled White,' Elliott Smith
From 1998's 'XO'

'Bled White' is one of my favorite Elliott Smith songs. Off 1998's 'XO,' the song doesn't have that Pacific Northwest acoustic-tinge of Smith's previous albums, but it features Smith's classic vocal stylings and poignant lyricism that made him so widely loved.

"'Cause happy and sad come in quick succession/I'm never going to become what you became," he sings.

Smith's untimely death hovers over every song he sings -- this one included. But it's not a sad feeling; it's a thank God this man existed in the first place feeling. The song starts with a jangly guitar, followed by the introduction of keys and cymbal strikes that burst through the speakers, and finally, the drums hit hard. The drumming, courtesy of Joey Waronker who has played with Beck and R.E.M., is maybe the best thing about this song. They are very staccato sounding --jumpy even. They keep the song moving quickly, like a dancer on her toes.

It's not typical Elliott Smith, but that's part of the appeal. "Don't complicate my piece of mind," he pleads. But you should complicate your perception of him, starting with this song.

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