Damien Rice’s ‘9’ digests nicely with a glass of melancholy

The amorphous and angelic vocal quality of the
Irish songwriter Damien Rice intrigues and captivates.
The songs come pouring out of his bleeding heart in
his first album in four years, titled “9.”

Almost entirely self-produced, the album’s engineers
are also the same musicians performing on the
album.

In keeping with his reputation, Rice’s abilities to
swoon and provoke thought are present throughout.
Tracks such as “The Animals Were Gone” and “Accidental
Babies” show the poet’s abilities to encapsulate
a lover’s torment. Whether it’s overdone is up to the
listener.

There is some light-heartedness, however, in the
song, “Me, My Yoke + 1,” which tells of a young Irish
Catholic boy discovering masturbation.

“Grey Room” tells of the hardships of long distance
relationships but actually has a happy ending – the
only one on the album.

An interesting gimmick Rice includes on this album
is the continuation of musical and lyrical themes.
The song “Elephant” was originally titled “The
Blower’s Daughter Part 2” but was changed at the last
minute. “The Blower’s Daughter” on Rice’s first album
alludes to a lost love that was too good to be true,
leaving lasting emotional scars. “Elephant” continues
the torture, projecting the cursed love on another
relationship and suggesting how to best cope with
history: by finding happiness from within.

Also harking back to the first album is “Sleep Don’t
Weep.” When played with “Cold Water” from the
album “O,” a four-part ray of brilliance emerges from
the speakers.

“9” also is considerably a harder album than Rice’s
previous endeavor. With hard-edged tunes such as
“Rootless Tree” and the song about touching oneself,
the progressive developments and startling climaxes
are stimulating if not a bit off-color for the rest of the
album.

The award for originality, honesty and arrangement
goes to “9 Crimes.” The strings are used with great
effect throughout the album but especially on this
track. The lovely chorus is reminiscent of old Henry
Mancini arrangements of the late ’50s.

Overall, the album is incredibly soothing – maybe a
little too soothing. Nicely executed, though, with that
homegrown vibe, Rice and company’s album gives their
listeners a beautiful treat that warms the ears.

Grade: B

Download (don’t steal): “9 Crimes” by Damien Rice.