Damien Rice
9

THE REVIEW

After delighting us in 2003 with the debut album “O”, a true masterpiece of poetic folk-rock, the Irish artist returns here with its successor which, let's say it right away, does not live up to the first chapter and is superior only in terms of the title (9 to 0).

The work immediately plays its best card, "Nine Crimes": a few ivory keys that slowly accompany the voice of his then partner Lisa Hannigan, distant violins that become audible as lover Damien Rice enters the scene, the voices follow each other gently in a crescendo along with the music in one of the few duets that will be in the album (unlike the predecessor, where the female voice was more present).

Following is "The Animals Were Gone", if possible even slower, with a beautiful melody that stretches out for too long before dissolving into an instrumental finale of violas, violins, and cellos that reevaluates it.

In "Elephant" there is again a long introductory phase very sparse with voice and acoustic guitar, which at the end gives way to a brief and deeply emotional burst of electricity; the same electricity we find more decisively in the following "Rootless Tree", another romantic and appropriately angry folk-rock gem.

A moment of pause with the carefree melody of “Dogs”, where you can hear the familiar sound made by fingers sliding on the guitar strings while “…the day ends…and I have no need…the girl who does yoga…”, followed by “Coconut Skins” which is instead a perfect Bob Dylan school song (and when you hear “..time is contagious…” it’s the moment for chills).

“Me, My Yoke And I” is instead a circular blues rock that hypnotizes you, something to dance to with closed eyes at a concert.

The album then closes with three ballads: “Grey Room” and “Accidental Babies” which bring back the mood of the previous work, concluding with the soporific “Sleep, Don’t Weep”.

Good Damien could have made a photocopy of the debut album and didn't, could have ventured into new situations and he partly did, cooking up new and captivating melodies seasoning them with slightly less inspiration than before. Transitional album?

Probably.