The story of Elliott Smith is one of indie rock's most tragic, and his intimate, candid folk tales offer the most authentic way to tell it. Debuting in 1994, the singer/songwriter was armed with a guitar and piano, but it was his pen that hit hardest, documenting struggles with addiction and depression. In fact, Smith's darkest songs are his most minimalist: the taut, acoustic picks nervously ticking in "Needle In the Hay”; his lullaby croons softly pleading for one more drink on "Between the Bars". Even his most robust rock, as in "Pretty (Ugly Before)", is as gorgeous as it is devastating.