Reviews Written by frishie

Damien Rice's Growth and Evolution

Pros: good-feeling album and some piano melodies

Cons: lack of lyrical poetry and some repetition

Almost four years after the release of O, Damien Rice has evolved nicely with 9, keeping true to his alternative folkpop style without the hang-ups of his freshman release. You can’t sound depressed forever, nor can you sing about the same thing over and over again. Overall, 9 has almost an entirely different feel due to the music couplings of piano and orchestral strings, namely “9 Crimes,” and the believable transitions from angst to angry. The tracks on 9 come off as more inspirational and warming than depressing and apathetic while maintaining the balance of emotion and sensitivity that make his love songs great. It was also impressing to see Rice dip his guitar strings into the rock genre with the angry track “Me, My Yoke & I.” Upon first listen, the guitar riffs of Jimi Hendrix came through my speakers in a sound Rice made all his own, reminiscent of “Volcano” from O, and I was in awe. The album most certainly makes for a memorable car ride with a few of the more upbeat tracks like the deliciously cross “Rootless Tree” and the Dylanesque “Coconut Skins.” However, the musical arrangements of vocals and acoustic guitar melodies seemed to be lacking with this album, mainly because of the obvious absence of Lisa Hannigan. The two give sort of a point/counterpoint feeling, though not lyrically, to their love songs which make them so great, and this album was almost entirely devoid of that. Lyrically, a few of the songs are obviously repetitive and don’t have the poetry of Rice’s freshman release, leaving me with a sense of want for the song writing I know he can really do. As a whole, 9 is an excellent album, and Rice seemed to have evolved pleasantly in sound and most of all, mood. Without a singularly superior track to be found, the album makes for an exceptional listen, while staying true to Rice’s formula. It’s about the music, not the charts. ...