![]() As Tom Hawking from Flavourwire noted in an article regarding Ocean's reference, many of Smith's songs (such as "Pictures Of Me" and "King's Crossing") are written introspectively, with the singer reflecting on himself from a third person perspective - as an image, or an actor, within his own life. "Siegfried" also happens to share a great deal of lyrical themes with much of Smith's style. Though Ocean's delivery is more musically stripped down and more vocally direct, the similarities are obvious and startling.īut the most obvious sign of Smith's influence can be found on the song, "Siegfried." At about the three minute mark, the song diverts to become something else entirely, with Ocean singing, "This is not my life, It’s just a fond farewell to a friend." The line is an exact lyric taken from Smith's " A Fond Farewell" of the album From A Basement On A Hill, and it's truly touching lyrical tribute. It's a stunning song, and one that bears uncanny similarities to Smith's "Waltz #1" from his fourth album, XO. On second track, "Ivy," a sparkling, electric guitar provides a melody to Ocean's nostalgic, yearning lyricism. Smith's influence can be heard almost instantly on Blonde. (I still feel it, and clearly, so does Ocean). He was commended for being a breathtakingly honest, sonic genius, who had made an endless emotional impact on the lives of fans that remains to this day. When Smith died in 2003, the music industry rightfully mourned the loss of an artist who was truly unique. It leaps from the deeply intimate, lo-fi, hushed confessionals of his earlier albums to being experimental, creatively unpredictable, and stunning on a large scale. Though he's commonly described as being a singer-songwriter, his entire musical discography is slightly hard to define. Much like Ocean, Smith was something of an enigma. ![]() Having been a massive fan of Smith since I was a teenager, the revelation that Ocean may also be a fan and inspired by his music was a deeply gratifying one. Creatively, the two hold some common ground.Ī list of contributors for Blonde were mentioned in Ocean's 360-page magazine, Boy's Don't Cry, and, unsurprisingly, Smith joined a talented bevy of collaborators and album influences as diverse as Kanye West, David Bowie, and Brian Eno. Not only is Smith's musical legacy more than worthy of such appreciation, but it's also easy to understand why Ocean would be such a fan of his work. The influence of late singer-songwriter, Elliott Smith, is apparent all over Blonde, in both blatant tributes and subtle suggestions. But upon the very first listen of the album, there was one particular influence that was unmistakable. Personally, I've poured over the lyrics of each song, song influences and marveled at the production work. Wonderfully introspective without feeling self-indulgent, deeply eclectic and full of the sort of artistic nuances that demand repeated listens, Blonde is nothing short of a triumph. Like many fans, I'm sure, I haven't been able to get Frank Ocean's new album, Blonde, out of my head since it's release. ![]()
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