Damien Rice: 9
Damien Rice has just released his second full length album 9. He’s a great fan of eloquance and single character titles (his first album was titled simply O). O rocketed his fame forward when his song, The Blower’s Daughter, defined the musical tone of the movie Closer which starred Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Julia Roberts, and Clive Owen. His songs have been featured in a number of movies and television shows.
If there’s a problem with his new album 9, it’s his success. Damien Rice is well known for putting the art of music first. His talent is pure genius. He honed that talent by avoiding the commercialism in the music industry and by busking his way through Europe and playing coffee shop gigs around Dublin. The problem is, when you’re a gifted musician, people are gonna find out. They did. And with success comes all the politics and bad juju of the business side of things.
9 has recieved some criticism for being self indulgent and angst-ridden. It’s the kind of album that musicians make when they want to tell the record companies where to go (and it’s not a nice place). It rebels against the hype. It laughs at commercialism. It spins itself out of control and cries ‘this is not what it’s supposed to be about’. But don’t be discouraged - Damien has sprinkled some gems for the fans throughout the album.
The title track, 9 Crimes, is a classic Damien Rice ballad. It’s a duet with Lisa Hannigan, full of yearning and momentum spurred on by Vyvienne Long’s cello. If you can appreciate the four-letter chorus of Rootless Tree, you’ll love the song. And true to his experience junkie roots and the human connections he values so much, he writes about Dogs and Accidental Babies. You might not love every song on 9, but the songs that catch you, will. And they won’t let go.
