Editing Elliott Smith (section)

=== 1998–2000: ''XO'' and ''Figure 8'' ===
In 1998, after the success of ''[[Either/Or (album)|Either/Or]]'' and "Miss Misery", Smith signed to a bigger record label, [[DreamWorks Records]]. Around the same time, Smith fell into depression, speaking openly of considering suicide,<ref name="D'Angelo, Perez" /> and on at least one occasion<ref name="Gowing" /> made a serious attempt at ending his own life.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.inkblotmagazine.com/We_Love_Elliott_Smith.htm |title=Why We Love Elliott Smith |last=Scherl |first=Alexis |website=Ink Blot Magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080519201027/http://www.inkblotmagazine.com/We_Love_Elliott_Smith.htm |archive-date=May 19, 2008 |access-date=June 24, 2013}}</ref> While in North Carolina, he became severely intoxicated and ran off a cliff. He landed on a tree, which badly impaled him but broke his fall.<ref name="Gowing" /> When questioned about his suicide attempt, he told an interviewer "Yeah, I jumped off a cliff, but let's talk about something else."<ref name="Kelley" />

Christopher Cooper, head of Cavity Search Records (which released ''Roman Candle''), said about this time in Smith's life, "I talked him out of thinking that he wanted to kill himself numerous times when he was in Portland, Oregon. I kept telling him that he was a brilliant man, and that life was worth living, and that people loved him."<ref name="D'Angelo, Perez" /> Pete Krebs also agreed: "In Portland we got the brunt of Elliott's initial depression ... Lots of people have stories of their own experiences of staying up with Elliott 'til five in the morning, holding his hand, telling him not to kill himself."<ref name="Kelley" />

Smith's first release for DreamWorks was later that year. Titled ''[[XO (Elliott Smith album)|XO]]'', it was conceived and developed while Smith wrote it out over the winter of 1997-1998, night after night seated at the bar in [[Luna Lounge]].<ref>Interview, {{cite web|url= http://www.gothamist.com/archives/2004/08/10/rob_sacher_coowner_luna_lounge.php|title= Rob Sacher, Co-Owner Luna Lounge|access-date= 2023-02-24|date= 2004-08-10|work= Gothamist|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20041011143149/http://www.gothamist.com/archives/2004/08/10/rob_sacher_coowner_luna_lounge.php|archive-date= 2004-10-11}}</ref> It was produced by the team of [[Rob Schnapf]] and [[Tom Rothrock]]. ''XO'' also contained some instrumentation from Los Angeles musicians [[Joey Waronker]] and [[Jon Brion]]. It contained a more full-sounding, [[baroque pop]] sound than any of his previous efforts, with songs featuring a horn section, [[Chamberlin (music)|Chamberlins]], elaborate [[string instrument|string]] arrangements, and even a [[Music loop|drum loop]] on the song "Independence Day". His familiar double-tracked vocal and acoustic guitar style were still apparent while his somewhat personal lyrical style survived. The album went on to peak at number 104 on the ''Billboard'' 200<ref name="Billboard charts">{{cite magazine |url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=elliott smith|chart=all}} |title=Elliott Smith – Chart History |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | access-date=December 8, 2015}}</ref> and number 123 on the UK Album Charts,<ref name="zobbel.de">{{cite web |url=http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_S.HTM |title=Chart Log UK: DJ S – The System of Life |website=zobbel.de |access-date=June 24, 2013}}</ref> while selling 400,000 copies<ref name="Petridis">{{cite news |last=Petridis |first=Alexis |date=March 19, 2004 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/mar/19/popandrock.elliottsmith |title=The Mysterious Death of Elliott Smith |newspaper=The Guardian | access-date=June 24, 2013}}</ref> (more than double that of each of his two Kill Rock Stars releases), becoming the best-selling release of his career.{{sfn|Nugent|2004|p=201}} Smith's backing band during most of this period was the Portland-based group [[Quasi (band)|Quasi]], consisting of former bandmate [[Sam Coomes]] on bass guitar and Coomes's ex-wife [[Janet Weiss]] on drums. Quasi also performed as the opening act at many shows on the tour, with Smith sometimes contributing bass guitar, guitar, or backing vocals. [[List of Saturday Night Live hosts and musical guests#Season 24|On October 17, 1998]], Smith appeared on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' and performed "[[Waltz 2 (XO)|Waltz No. 2 (XO)]]". His backing band for this appearance was [[John Moen]], [[Jon Brion]], [[Rob Schnapf]], and [[Sam Coomes]].

In response to whether the change to a bigger record label would influence his creative control, Smith said, "I think despite the fact that sometimes people look at major labels as simply money-making machines, they're actually composed of individuals who are real people, and there's a part of them that needs to feel that part of their job is to put out good music."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/elliottsmith/articles/story/5924200/smith_comes_up_roses |title=Smith Comes Up Roses: Elliott Smith |last=Dansby |first=Andrew |date=April 22, 2000 |magazine=Rolling Stone | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001021013/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/elliottsmith/articles/story/5924200/smith_comes_up_roses |archive-date=October 1, 2007 |url-status=dead |access-date=June 24, 2013}}</ref> Smith also claimed in another interview that he never read his reviews for fear that they would interfere with his songwriting.<ref>{{cite web|title=Entertainment – Elliott Smith Keeps Moving – May 17, 2000 |last=Allen |first=Jamie |website=CNN.com |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2000/SHOWBIZ/Music/05/17/elliott.smith/ |access-date=June 24, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601213317/http://archives.cnn.com/2000/SHOWBIZ/Music/05/17/elliott.smith/ |archive-date=June 1, 2013 }}</ref> It was during this period that Smith appeared on Dutch television in 1998 and provided a candid interview in which he spoke of his assessment of his music career until that point:

<blockquote>Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I mostly only know things are different because people ask me different questions, but I don't feel like things are very changed. I mean, I still, I do the same things that I did before … I think about the same things, so … I'm the wrong kind of person to be really big and famous.<ref name="Dutch TV">Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/X5yjQX-8iuI Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20131021181219/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5yjQX-8iuI&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5yjQX-8iuI |title=Elliott Smith Live, 29 November 1998: Full 2 Meter Session (high res VCR capture) |date=July 2, 2013 |via=YouTube | access-date=January 12, 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref></blockquote>

As part of the Dutch television special, Smith played live versions of "Waltz No. 2 (XO)", "Miss Misery", and "I Didn't Understand"—the latter two songs were performed solely on piano, while the first song was cut short by Smith, as he explained: "I had to stop it because it's… you know, what's the point of playing a song badly? It'd be better to play it and mean it, than to just walk through it."<ref name="Dutch TV" />

{{listen
| filename = Elliott Smith - Son of Sam (sample).ogg
| title="Son of Sam"
| description = Sample of Elliott Smith's "Son of Sam", the first single from ''[[Figure 8 (album)|Figure 8]]'' (2000), showing Smith's continuing development of a "more sonically detailed"<ref name="AllMusic Figure 8" /> and lush sound
| format=[[Ogg]]
}}

Smith relocated from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1999,<ref name="Kelley" /> taking up residence at a cabin in the Silver Lake section of town, where he would regularly play intimate, acoustic shows at local venues like [[Silverlake Lounge]].<ref>{{cite journal |date=December 2003 |title=The Long Slow Death of Elliott Smith |journal=Blender}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wideanglesounds.bigcartel.com/product/elliott-smith-at-silverlake-lounge-99|title=Elliott Smith at Silverlake Lounge '99 / Wide Angle Sounds|last=Sounds|first=Wide Angle|website=wideanglesounds.bigcartel.com|access-date=March 6, 2017}}</ref> He also performed in Toronto in April that year.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20000204220616/http://chartattack.com/road/reviews/1999/19990412-elliottsmith.html "Live Reviews: Elliott Smith April 1, 1999, The Opera House, Toronto, ON"]}}. ''Chart Attack'', review and photos by Toko-pa Turner</ref> In the fall, his cover of [[the Beatles]]' "Because" was featured in the end credits of DreamWorks' Oscar-winning drama [[American Beauty (1999 film)|''American Beauty'']], and appeared on the film's soundtrack album.

''[[Figure 8 (album)|Figure 8]]'', the final album Smith completed, was released on April 18, 2000. It featured the return of Rothrock, Schnapf, Brion, and Waronker and was partially recorded at [[Abbey Road Studios]] in England, with an obvious Beatles influence in the songwriting and production. The album garnered favorable reviews,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/figure-8/elliott-smith |title=''Figure 8'' Reviews |publisher=Metacritic | access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref> and peaked at number 99 on the ''Billboard'' 200<ref name="Billboard charts" /> and 37 on the UK Album Charts.<ref name="zobbel.de" /> The album received praise for its [[power pop]] style and complex arrangements, described as creating a "sweeping kaleidoscope of layered instruments and sonic textures".<ref name="AllMusic Figure 8">{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/figure-8-mw0000604250 |title=''Figure 8'' – Elliott Smith : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |last=Huey |first=Steve |publisher=AllMusic | access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref> However, some reviewers felt that Smith's trademark dark and melancholy songwriting had lost some of its subtlety, with one reviewer likening some of the lyrics to "the self-pitying complaints of an adolescent venting in his diary".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/music/pop/reviews/2847/ |title=Möbius Smith |last=Smith |first=Ethan |date=April 24, 2000 |website=New York | access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref>

Album art and promotional pictures from the period showed Smith looking cleaned-up and put-together. An extensive tour in promotion of the record ensued, book-ended by television appearances on ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]'' and the ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]''. However, Smith's condition began to deteriorate as he had become addicted to heroin either towards the end of or just after the ''Figure 8'' tour.<ref name="Gowing" />