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Damien
Rice
O
label: Vector Recordings
released: 06.10.03
our score: 5.0 out of 5.0
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I’ll
be straightforward first off while reviewing this album - it's
great. It’s sheer brilliance. In this seemingly shallow
world of music, here comes Damien Rice to save it all - separating
himself from his contemporaries through the use of a wide instrument
array, from delicate strings to piano; from acoustic guitars to
clarinets. A superstar in the UK, this Irish singer/songwriter
packs a heartfelt punch into his blissful, beautiful debut, simply
titled “O”.
Now
there is of course that inevitable comparison to Jeff Buckley
and David Gray... it's just too obvious not to be noticed. Like
Gray, Rice recorded this in his bedroom because he claims he “doesn’t
like a commercial feel to his music.” Rice twists many emotions
into one in his music, and at parts of the disc you can almost
hear the tears in his voice, most notably in the song “Older
Chests”. The strings at the end of “Amie” are
something awe-inspiring, indescribable. And the line “I
can’t take my eyes off of you” in “The Blowers
Daughter” could possibly be the most helplessly romantic
thing said in music this whole year.
Rice
chooses to add a bit more penache to his disc with the addition
of a female backing vocalist- the harmonizing and intertwining
of their voices are irresistible. Musically, he seems to be exploring
all aspects of being in love- the warmness, the intimacy, and
most notably, the heartbreak, with the second part of the disc
focusing mainly on the heartbreak. The song “I Remember”
is almost like the female in the relationship’s response
to Rice’s sad lyrics in “Cold Water”. But in
the middle of the song, Rice comes back for the emotional peak
of the disc.
This
record may be a bit too “Sleepy” or “Downbeat”
for some listeners, but the whole atmosphere on the record is
quiet, yet intense. What's more, this disc goes further still
- it tells a whole story. It’s the most beautiful thing
you'll hear all year and it may very well bring tears to your
eye. It’s almost like hearing the sequel to Jeff Buckley’s
Grace.
It
would be a sin to give this album a less than perfect review.
06-Aug-2003
10:11 PM
If you
liked O...
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Tracklist:
1. Delicate
2. Volcano
3. The Blowers Daughter
4. Cannonball
5. Older Chests
6. Amie
7. Cheers Darlin
8. Cold Water
9. I Remember
10. Eskimo
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