DAMIEN RICE

9

2006-11-27

Folkie Damien Rice is back with his signature blunt, often raw lyrics on his sophomore release, 9. His sharp tongue saves the down-tempo offerings of love and desperation from bordering on the cliché as he wonders aloud about the new life of a former lover on the track Accidental Babies and plays true confession with the first single, 9 Crimes. These elements lend a voyeuristic feel to an album that may or may not be autobiographical. In fact, 9 can be summarized as an extension of the debut “O” until you realize the familiar sound of the bitter lyrics found in Rootless Tree and Me, My Yoke and I are full-blown rock songs. Rice strikes a delicate balance between two and sometimes three genres on 9. The one exception is track five, Dogs. For some reason lyrics about yoga girls and dogs seem too simple and thoughtless on an otherwise emotion-laden and masterful album. Co-vocalist Lisa Hannigan returns to open and close the album. – Sarah Minnick