From a Basement on the Hill

About From a Basement on the Hill

From a Basement on the Hill is the sixth and final studio album by the American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. Recorded between 2000 and 2003, it was released posthumously in the UK and Europe on Domino on October 18, 2004, and in the US the following day on October 19, 2004 through record label ANTI-. The album was initially planned as a double album, and was incomplete at the time of Smith's death. Many of the songs Smith intended for the album remained unfinished, in some cases only lacking vocals. Smith's family hired his former producer Rob Schnapf and ex-girlfriend Joanna Bolme to sort through and finish the batch of over thirty songs that were recorded for the album, although the estate retained final decision on which tracks to include. Many of the songs reference Smith's lifelong struggles with drug addiction and depression. His cause of death is officially unknown, as the coroner's report remarks that some aspects pointed to suicide and some to murder. The official nature of the case and statements from close friends state that his death is still under speculation. It has not been investigated further. From a Basement on the Hill became Smith's highest-charting album in the US and was praised by critics, with reviewers complimenting the album's attempts to expand Smith's sound, such as the incorporation of instrumental passages, as well as heavier, guitar-based material more »