O'Riley gets lost in Elliott Smith's world

Christopher O'Riley is best known for his classical piano renditions of songs by the British alternative-art rock band Radiohead, which he first began playing during set breaks of "From the Top," a National Public Radio program which he hosts. The popularity of the songs led to the release of two albums; True Love Waits: Christopher O'Riley Plays Radiohead and Hold Me To This: Christopher O'Riley Plays Radiohead. \nAlthough many Radiohead fans praised his work, there have been some critics of O'Riley who claim he is only profiting from the use of the band's name. However, anyone who is remotely knowledgeable in the realm of music would be a fool to say that O'Riley is not an incredibly gifted pianist and meticulous in his arrangements. When it comes to his most recent release, Home to Oblivion: An Elliott Smith Tribute, O'Riley shows the versatility of his abilities as a performer and arranger. And criticized or not, O'Riley arranged the entire album out of pure respect and admiration for a truly gifted artist and songwriter. The detailed liner notes of the album attest to O'Riley's genuine affection of Smith's music.\nHome to Oblivion starts off with "Coast to Coast" and "Let's Get Lost," which similarly are the first two cuts from Smith's 2004 posthumous release From a Basement on a Hill. O'Riley does a good job capturing the up-tempo energy of "Coast to Coast" and the delicate vocal melody of "Let's Get Lost."\nThe beauty and skill of O'Riley's arranging is evident in "I Didn't Understand," which was originally performed by Smith a cappella on 1998's XO. O'Riley's take on "Roman Candle" is particularly interesting as he attempts to capture the raw energy of the four-track recording of Smith's voice paired with an acoustic guitar.\nThe chilling "Everything Means Nothing to Me" sounds quite similar to the original, with Smith's delicate vocal melody transformed on piano. Several other Smith favorites including "Independence Day," "Christian Brothers" and "Stupidity Tries" are nicely arranged on the album. \nOverall, O'Riley skillfully arranges a solid collection of some of Smith's greatest work. His ability to capture the true essence and emotion of each song is particularly impressive. What makes Home to Oblivion, as well as O'Riley's previous releases, standout is that these records expose fans of either Elliott Smith or Radiohead to classical music, while at the same time exposing classical music fans to two important contemporary rock acts of our time.