Spending most of his adult life in the gloomy, rainy, haze of Portland, Oregon, it comes as no surprise that Elliott Smith's work reflected his moody environment. Smith started creating music in the early nineties during a time when punk and grunge were dominating the music scene of the Pacific Northwest, drawing more of an influence from bands like The Beatles, Nico, and Pink Floyd. Elliot Smith battled with darkness his whole life and was somehow able to transform his strife into something deep and moving with his music, and even today his tragic legacy shines on.