Mainly, people think Damien Rice is depressing. And I agree, he totally is.
But there is a certain beauty behind his songs that I just cannot put my finger on. Besides, some of his songs are upbeat with a happy ending. He just keeps you guessing: you never know what he’ll do next!
This week I’ve decided to review Rice’s second studio album, simply titled ‘9′. The artwork, by the way, is crazy and totally awesome.
Track #1: 9 Crimes – The best song you could actually ever listen to if you were depressed. You know, when you don’t want to listen to people like Alphabeat being annoyingly happy and excitable.
Track #2: The Animals Were Gone – My song of choice after a relationship break up. Makes you feel ten times worse, but the lyrics are written to perfection. For example, “waking up without you is like drinking, from an empty cup.”
Track #3: Elephant – The first of the songs to start off lovely and peaceful and then gradually get more aggressive as it progresses. The emotion in Damien’s voice is particularly stunning in this track.
Track #4: Rootless Tree – I’d say this track was probably quite deceiving. The guitar motif in the background is pretty light and happy sounding, but the lyrics totally contrast. That is, until he starts shouting ‘F*CK YOU!’ at the top of his voice.
Track #5: Dogs – I promised you that Rice did have some happy songs, and this one is a perfect example. The lyrics tell a cute story about love between himself and ‘the girl that does yoga’. It’s totally sweet.
Track #6: Coconut Skins – Perfect guitar in this song. Pretty catchy, in fact.
Track #7: Me, My Yoke and I – If there were in fact any weak songs on this album, I’d say this was the weakest. I still like it though. This album obviously must just be good.
Track #8: Grey Room – If I remember correctly, this is the first song with any hint of drums. And they accentuate the tones in Rice’s voice greatly. Love it.
Track #9: Accidental Babies – And we’re back to the totally depressing songs. I really love this one though. It’s dark, gloomy and absolutely delicious. The piano makes it sound so cold and the lyrics are haunting. In a good way.
Track #10: Sleep Don’t Weep – If I ever have trouble sleeping, I’m gonna play this song. The melody of the vocals in this track are beautiful and make you feel as if Damien is actually in the room with you.
So, is this CD worth buying? 100% yes. It’s possibly one of the modern masterpieces in terms of it’s lyrics. Pretty much an Oscar winning script.
I don’t recommend this to anyone who likes Cascada or Tiesto. For obvious reasons.
If you appreciate good music and are a little bit emo, you’ll love it.
Published on December 7th, 2009 at 10:10 am by Lauren
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