Track Listing 1. 9 Crimes 2. Animals Were Gone, The 3. Elephant 4. Rootless Tree 5. Dogs 6. Coconut Skins 7. Me, My Yoke and I 8. Grey Room 9. Accidental Babies 10. Sleep Don't Weep
| Details | | Distributor: | WEA (Distributor) | | Recording Type: | Studio | | Recording Mode: | Stereo | | SPAR Code: | n/a |
Album Notes Personnel: Damien Rice (vocals, guitar, clarinet, piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Wurlitzer piano, percussion); Lisa Hannigan (vocals); Joel Shearer (electric guitar); Cora Venus Lunny (violin, viola); Vyvienne Long (cello); Shane Fitzsimons (bass instrument, double bass). Damien Rice's debut proved the Irish singer-songwriter capable of constructing a memorable album of delicate acoustic folk songs that were both simple and powerful. The artist's sophomore release, 9, continues in a similar vein, with Rice turning in a batch of tunes that tread the same poignant, melancholic territory, utilizing spare arrangements that highlight his chiming acoustic playing and hushed, intimate singing. Even when backed by an electric guitar ("Me, My Yoke, and I") or adding variety by including vocalist Lisa Hannigan, Rice's approach is restrained and reflective. At its best, as on the chilly confessional "The Animals Were Gone" or the woozy, bleary shuffle of "Gray Room," 9 matches its predecessor. But even when not making great leaps forward, the album establishes a pleasant holding pattern for Rice, and is sure to please fans of his first effort and intrigue those hearing the artist for the first time.
Editorial Reviews 4 stars out of 5 -- 9 begins very quietly and unexpectedly....That doesn't prepare for the giant step that is 'Me, My Yoke And I', whose brutish rhythms guitar and visceral howl is worthy of P.J. Harvey. Mojo
Ranked #25 in Q Magazine's 100 Greatest Albums of 2006 -- Rice was one balladeer with bite. Q
4 stars out of 5 -- [The] clash between Rice's almost stately backing and his unflinching lyrics is not merely his calling card...but the key to his status as a potential giant. Q
Rice stands apart from the pack because of the genuine beauty and eccentricity of his tunes, and his willingness to disrupt the prettiness with crashing rock dissonances. -- Grade: B Entertainment Weekly
4 stars out of 5 -- Rice seeks 24/7 momentousness here... Spin
3 stars out of 5 -- [Rice lets] himself get actively angry and sweetly lyrical on four tracks... Rolling Stone
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