Damien Rice - O (Review: Alex)

Possibly against Album Swap rules, I had already heard this album. But this didn't bother me in the slightest, because I was very pleased about the prospect of reviewing it.

This is one of my favourite albums to just sit and listen to. The ammount of essays it's helped me write is totally unimaginable. This is probably because of Rice's most distinguishable quality: his voice. It's perfectly suited to the mellow, reflective vibe which this album gives out, and is subtly powerful. This is often seen at the ending of many songs. 'Delicate', the opening track, is beautifully simple. I suppose it will become apparent as I review more albums that my favourite songs are often the simplest. 'Delicate' is the epitomy of this. The two chord structure works brilliantly, largely because of the variation Rice adds throughout, and complements his voice fantastically.

This said, the songs on this album aren't always as rhythmically simple as they first seem. 'The Blower's Daughter', for example, uses a very large number of chords, and rarely sticks to a set chord pattern. This seems odd in reflection, however it works. Similarly the key change at the end, I didn't even notice untill I found myself playing along one day (a very sad thing to be doing, and something I rarely admit to). I hate key changes, but this is brilliantly done.

I also enjoy the many appearences of Lisa Hannigan on the album. Her voice is great in a similar way to Damen Rice's is. I especially like the duet on 'Cold Water'. The change from singer to singer works really well.

I struggle to find a favourite track on this album, simply because I can't fault it. I probably like it because I have historically found a liking for reflective music (or depressing, as Tomb once pointed out). I suppose this album is slightly depressing, but that doesn't bother me. It's far too brilliant for that.

I promised myself I wouldn't do this. But I think this could well be the perfect album. Therefore I struggle to give it anything other than 5/5. Well done Damien Rice.