Elliott Smith's tragic death in 2003 left a gaping wound in the indie rock community. There weren't many singer/songwriter/producers around who could make music so raw and honest, so personal and universal, that it could touch you no matter how it was presented. Just Smith and a four-track in his bedroom or sitting behind the piano at Abbey Road, it didn't matter. His songs meant a lot to a lot of people and his records have become treasured parts of people's lives. This collection gathers up songs from throughout his career, taking tracks from each of Smith's albums and the two posthumous compilations that were released. The songs are extremely well chosen and give a glimpse of Smith both as a harrowingly honest writer and an amazingly gifted creator of memorable pop songs. It's a fine starting point for someone looking to discover Smith, but even if you have all his albums, it serves as a greatest-hits collection of sorts and only confirms just how awful not having him here truly is. ~ Tim Sendra