Elliott Smith - "Division Day" 7"

Elliott Smith – “Division Day” 7”

Suicide Squeeze, 1997

Acquired: Love Garden, New, 2004

Price: $4

“Division Day” provides stark contrast to the bleak, depressive tracks on the “Needle in the Hay” single. After his eponymous second album, Elliott Smith lightened up a bit. He embraced his pop sensibilities and started turning out brighter, more upbeat fair like “Division Day.” That’s not to say he all together abandoned the sad, low key stuff, but the balance of the two styles on his third album, Either/Or, makes that record his best. “Division Day” is the missing link between that record and his major label debut XO, and is a solid top-ten track from a discography so consistent and excellent that compiling such a list would be akin to pulling teeth. B-Side “No Name #6” is a throwback to his earlier records, but has enough skip in its step to keep anyone from being bummed out. Overall this 7” is a delight.