Singer/songwriter Elliot Smith released five albums in his lifetime, the most successful being 1997s Either/Or which garnered huge critical acclaim and thrust the unassuming 28 year old into the full glare of the mainstream spotlight. Having long suffered from depression, however, Smith seemed to struggle with his newfound success and began self-medicating with alcohol and drugs, both of which he came to be dependent on. While his addictions deepened, his star continued to soar with well-received records, movie soundtracks and even an Oscar nomination coming his way, though in interviews Smith was beginning to voice his discomfort with the life of a travelling troubadour. Even his lyrics began to hint at a struggle with fame; saw you and me on the coin-op TV, he sang on Pictures Of Me. Frozen in fear every time we appear. Smith went on to tragically take his own life in 2003, dying of two self-inflicted stab wounds to the chest. If anyone was left in doubt as to why the troubled 34 year old chose the path he did, the lyrics to Kings Crossing, a track from posthumous album From A Basement On A Hill, made it plain: the method acting that pays my bills keeps a fat man feeding in Beverley Hills. I get my check from the trash treasury because I took my own insides out.
