A Rather Disappointing Review of 9 from the UK

[Rannveig]

Agree or not? (rhetorical question )


http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds38491.html

Damien Rice: '9'
Released on Monday, November 20 2006 - by Miriam Zendle

Damien Rice's new album 9 could be most accurately described as a pop chill out album. Coming after the huge international success of debut album O, Rice has a lot to live up to with the new album. He utilises a variety of different techniques but sticks with what he knows best - the quiet, soft music.

1. '9 Crimes'
This isn't a bad track, but as an opener to the album it's a little weak, just because most of the track is wasted with wavering and slightly weak vocals from Rice and guest vocalist Lisa Hannigan. Despite a buildup towards the end, there's never any suspense, and it dies away rather suddenly at the end.




2. 'The Animals Were Gone'
Peculiarly, the thing the opening of this track most reminds me of is one of those mostly-spoken tracks by Tenacious D, which then morphs into a drippy country-style ballad. Ugh.




3. 'Elephant'
Rice is a great songwriter, and tracks like this one show that off to a tee, but it does become difficult to continue enjoying an album even three tracks in when it's sending you to sleep. Again, it's very off and on with the singing, which whilst theoretically making it unexpected, instead rather makes it a tad annoying.




4. 'Rootless Tree'
The fourth track begins with a gentle guitar solo, which draws you in, relaxing you immediately, before we hear Rice's nervous-at-intrusion, soft sound. It's much better than the tracks that have gone before it, but it's stlil background music.




5. 'Dogs'
This mainly instrumental number does feature Rice's vocals towards the middle of the track, but we are drawn in once again by the guitar. The gentle tapping of the drum brush on the cymbals and drums themselves breaks up at one point, which is always nice.




6. 'Coconut Skins'
The eyes are starting to glaze over a litttle tonight, no? I'm doing my best to stay awake, but Mr Rice is pretty much putting me to sleep with his slightly bland, MOR-a-like sound that just keeps spewing from this album.




7. 'Me, My Yoke and I'
Rice cranks up the volume (at least, he thinks he does, and certainly as we venture into the latter half of this piece we can see the rocky side of Rice coming out with the loud, slightly electronic vocals and thumping guitars.)




8. 'Grey Room'
After the excitement of the last track, Rice calms it down a bit on this one, which literally does what Rice says on the tin to appease the old grannies who worry about their position in society these days.




9. 'Accidental Babies'
The penultimate track sounds a bit more like Einaudi's piano music than Damien Rice, but the sheer lack of voices towards the beginning is enjoyable and unusual, with Rice's vocals being soft, gentle and relaxed , the entire song is pretty and lilting.




10. 'Sleep Don't Weep'
Again, I'm getting the vibe that this song isn't very exciting. It's perfect to fall asleep to, but that's not the point. Damien Rice is a skilled singer-songwriter and in a way, this track somewhat lets him down - but then it is terribly beautiful and relaxing.




Damien Rice's new album 9 takes influence from a variety of sources. The majority of the album is utterly relaxed in content, but there is the occasional track to show that Rice was not writing in his sleep. Rice is a good songwriter, and the album isn't half bad - but on the whole it's background music, nothing to be that excited about. Pity.

[flyaway]

You do get people like that I'm afraid, he is trying a bit too hard to be witty and is losing sight of the actual task at hand. I'm guilty too though, I always give the Arctic Monkeys terrible reviews!
Oh well it's just an opinion, and I haven't heard it yet so I'll keep quiet.

[Accidental Baby]

Reviewers that use the word 'ugh' are not to be taken too seriously.

Elephant 2/5 stars, that's insane.

[borneoman]

Dogs an almost instrumental track??? I hate reviews/reviewers like that one!!! Sure he just had one listen to the album... which is not enough most of the time, particularly with Damiwn...

[Anja]

Originally Posted by Rannveig

... but on the whole it's background music, nothing to be that excited about. Pity.

Argh i definitely dont agree with that and i think this sentence as his final statement is a bit overdone! Maybe 9 isnt as good as O but its still better than many other albums! brr

[Accidental Baby]

Originally Posted by Yanka

Maybe 9 isnt as good as O but its still better than many other albums! brr

Read the other review posted. It's the complete opposite of this one.

[Niko]

Hmm...Rootless Tree as background music? Well, if you like people yelling "**** you!" at you in the background, who am I to argue?

Anyone else get the feeling that this guy had already written the majority of his review before he listened to the album? I don't quite understand how he can keep saying that "Rice is a great/good songwriter" and then seem to not actually enjoy any of the songs that much.

But then, if he thinks the vocals on Accidental Babies are "relaxed", he has clearly missed the point by a country mile.

[Dwahvel]

The reviewer obviously doesn't have the same taste in music as Rice fans do, he missed all the subtle nuances in the songs.
Plus, after whinging about how "relaxed" the whole album was, he turns around and mocks Damien for "turning up the volume."

Seems like he'd already made up his mind to not like the album before he even listened to it. How sad. But then, some reviewers feel like it's their job to put down good musicians if said musician had a smash first album - almost as if they don't want anyone to start feeling too good about their own music.

[Bumpman]

I'm usually of the opinion that people have the right to believe what they want about albums, A thread like this in a Damien Rice forum is never going to be the most unpredictable read, filled with angry responses and threats of scornful emails being sent. I'm generally shocked though, at the drop in the general standard of writing when it comes to giving bad reviews. The obvious point against this is that they must spend all their good writing energy pointing out why albums are good. I still have yet to see a really objectively written, lucidly researched thrashing of what might be a popular album. No journalist ever seems to go past; "I didn't like it". There's never a; "I didn't like it because".

[ozza27]

Wateva. I love it. Dont really care what anyone else sez bout the album. Not everyone can appreciate Damo's Genius. Im just happy i can

Gonna go sleep now... Rate i should listen to this dude and listen to it b4?

Why not.....

[Niko]

Originally Posted by Bumpman

A thread like this in a Damien Rice forum is never going to be the most unpredictable read, filled with angry responses and threats of scornful emails being sent.

I don't think anyone's really been over-angry as yet Bumpman, just disappointed if anything. And although I have developed the sending of scornful emails into something of an art form lately, I really don't think I'm about to start lambasting anyone for having a different opinion to me - I'm sure everyone else here feels the same.

[Randit]

they wrote exactly what i wrote about the song '9 crimes'. good to see i'm not the only one.

[mickey13086]

i would actually like to see an actual number of fans that are satisfied with '9 crimes' as a song, and as an opening track, and the vocals of both, and the suddent end of the song with no climax..... to me, the lyrics are beautiful and when both lisa and damien sing together it is so simple its beautiful. effortless. would it really make that much of a better song if after the last line, "is that alright, is that alright with you...no...(followed by outro of piano) there was some closing line or verse to satisfy all of you? i am discouraged that so many find the lack of a "normal" climax (which I believe there is one, and very strong one...it just ends instead of leaving a "well you know that's a lie", or a "til I find somebody new", or a "you do not need me", or a, "when you know that you just...don't know", or a "what about me.." as the piano properly fades out... I just think that its a different approach by Damien Rice and the band here and also being the first track, it leads nicely into the second track...maybe this rant should go somewhere else and I am completely just too tired at 3:40 am, but I keep listening to the cd and I'm having trouble seeing many of this reviewers points, even when I put my , "try and be a critic" cap on. im in the same boat with critics of 9 crimes..to me its one of the best songs bost lyrically and musically on this album....but there are about 8 other songs that tie it...so ya know... ha...we'll end on that note, if you're still reading this, God bless you. I know I'm tired. and I'll take this final sentence to say you all rock, but mostly Damien Rice and the Band rock for allowing us to realize we all rock for just being here. Okay, im done being happy.

and drunk...well when I wake up...i hope

[Tim]

Hello everyone, I've never posted on here before but i've been lurking for a while and was starting to feel a bit rude so thought i'd register, say hello and post something. So hello.

Regarding the above review, I find reviews like that enormously irritating. People that criticise music like Damo's for essentially being quiet are just lazy. That's like reviewing a metal album and saying it's **** because it's too loud and shouty. If you're going to be a reviewer you have to be objective and review the music for what it is rather than saying you don't like it because you don't like that kind of music.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and to voice that opinion as much and as often as they like but that's very different to being a music critic and writing a review.

There we go, rant over.

And hello again everyone.

[Timeé]

Originally Posted by Yanka

Argh i definitely dont agree with that and i think this sentence as his final statement is a bit overdone! Maybe 9 isnt as good as O but its still better than many other albums! brr

i thought you didnt listen to the album? just a taster?

LOOOOSSERRRRRR

[Dwahvel]

Originally Posted by mickey13086

i would actually like to see an actual number of fans that are satisfied with '9 crimes' as a song, and as an opening track, and the vocals of both, and the suddent end of the song with no climax.....

LOL well,here's one

(I suppose I should say hello too, from one fellow ex-lurker to another... )

[mickey13086]

hello former lurkers!!! welcome!

[mestonf]

What a poor review. I have nothing against those who wish to express their opinion on the album; especially if they are negative towards it. However, their reasons have to be good.

A contradiction I think,

"t does become difficult to continue enjoying an album even three tracks in when it's sending you to sleep"

" The fourth track begins with a gentle guitar solo, which draws you in, relaxing you immediately"

I thought that the reviewer was complaining about the albums over relaxing effect. Moreover, an album that relaxes is surely having a positive effect on the listener. If it was making one agiatated, it's effect would be negative.

Secondly,
"to appease the old grannies who worry about their position in society these days."

This sort of comment worries me about the quality of this review.

Nevertheless, it's always interesting, if not refreshing (especially in a Damien Rice fan forum), to hear the other side of the argument.

[Daniel]

Hey,
Have to agree with the review in parts. Musically "9 Crimes" I think is a real weak opener. A lot of the songs on the album (musically) go nowhere and are somewhat....bland [sorry#1] - "Dogs", "Coconut Skins", "Accidential Babies" (which tends to go on a bit[sorry#2] but seems very short,). First listen to "Rootless Tree" I was thinking, oh yeah this ia a nice sing-a-long future single, well the chorus got rid of that thought!
"..Yoke.." is great, a shame there isn't more songs on here like that.
"Sleep dont weep", find it a bit similiar to "cold water", a good thing?
Overall its similar to O, there isnt any overall progression.[sorry#3]
This is after 2 full listens, in time I sure will like it more, once I listen to the lyrics more and get a bit more used to it.
But will still buy in on Friday though. Roll on his thrid album!

Jebus, my first post here for 5 months aint that positivie. [sorry#4]