Not that Elliott Smith the songwriter or performer isn't making the most of his own potential here. It's as good a statement as any to describe the mood of this collection of songs about drug abuse, failed relationships and the pitfalls of stardom.

So starts ''Between The Bars'', from Elliott Smith's third solo album Either/Or. ''Drink up baby / Stay up all night / With the things you could do / You won't but you might / The potential you'll be / That you'll never see / The promises you'll only make''.

I'll put money down that says this is the best album Kill Rock Stars releases for a couple of months. The Smiths, The Cure's Robert Smith, etc.) The result is nothing less than Zoloftian genius.

Smith shares all his personal secrets with us like other Smiths before him. Whispering his way into your heart with the voice of an angel, Elliott's new solo record, Either/Or, is the type of music you'd hear in Heaven s elevator: While everything's nice and pretty, you re still pretty bummed out that you died.

Heart sewn firmly to his sleeve, Elliott continues his tuneful dissection of life & what makes it difficult.

Elliott smith either or mediafire