Release Date: Nov 14, 2006
Label: Warner Bros.
Genres: Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Contemporary Folk, Alternative Folk
Number Of Tracks: 10
9 demonstrates the vast and diverse creative talent of Rice, who wrote, recorded and produced the record, as well as designing all of its artwork.
9
Reviewed by:
halo00zero, on december 25, 2006 2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Sound: I was absolutely thrilled to hear Damien Rice was coming out with a new CD. I thought O was the sleeper hit of 2002, and was probably my favorite album of that year. 9 did not disappoint. From the first soft piano chords of the track, 9 Crimes, I was absolutely smitten. His backup vocal partner, Lisa Hannigan is once again in top form. The album takes you on an emotional roller coaster as only Damien can. The album is pretty standard fare for Damien, but that is not a bad thing. It is a nice, mellow outing, with some exceptions (Elephant comes to mind) right up until "Me, my yoke, and I", the 7th track, which explodes into sonic mayhem midway through. Overall, it delivers exactly what I had hoped, and so much more. This is bound to be the "breakup album" of the year. // 10
Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics of 9 are a study in songwriting perfection. I simply cannot listen to this album without a tear in my eye. From "Leave me out with the waste/this is not what I do" on 9 Crimes, right through to "My face is all wet/'cause my day was rough" on the lullabye-esque Sleep Don't Weep. I cannot get sick of his imagery, or his wonderful lilting tenor. He earns the "explicit lyrics" sticker for such gems as "F--k you, f--k you, f--k you, and all we been through" on Rootless Tree, and earns my award as a lyrical genius for things like "Do you brush your teeth before you kiss?/Do you miss my smell?" (Accidental Babies). Lisa Hannigan’s breathy backup and counterpoint is a dreamy and perfect addition. // 10
Impression: I don't feel you can compare Damien Rice with anyone, but if you put him and some of Bright Eyes' mellower, acoustic material, you have got yourself one hell of a "quiet night alone with your girl" compilation. My personal favorite tracks? 9 Crimes is the best, but I also love rootless tree, Accidental Babies, and Me, My Yoke, And I. If you haven’t heard it yet, do yourself a favor and buy it. // 10
9
Reviewed by:
JimiDean, on july 10, 2007 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Sound: After hearing "0" played in my parents stereo, around the age of 10, I simply didn't get what the hell he was on about. I mean, there was a song about looking to eskimo's as your friends, and lots of things far too complex for my brain, normally fed on a diet of Busted and suchlike, to understand. But when my dad went out and bought 9, he played his then favourite song to me in the car, Rootless Tree, and I loved it. Since then, I have been back to "0" and can fairly confidently say I am a converted fan. In fact, around the time of writing this article, I am going to see him live at the reading hexagon with some mates I converted. The changes over this album are fantastic, and there is no doubt that Rice is a great musician, and the folk label stuck on the cover is not really, entirely suited, so eclectic is the sound of this album. From the happy musings of songs like Animals were Gone, Dogs, or Coconut Skins, to the tender buildup to epic anthem that is Elephant, or the downwright angry songs like 9 Crimes, or Rootless Tree. My only complaint is that Lisa Harrigan isn't used as much as the previous album, and she had such a breathy, sensual voice that It made songs like "I Remember" or "Cold Water" that little bit more special. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: His Lyrics are really something special. I just adore the way you can relate to the situations he paints, and there is some fantastic alliteration and rhyming prose inside. Gems like: "He lives in a little house/On the side of a little hill/Picks the litter from the ground/Litter little brother spills" from Dogs, or my personal favorite at the moment, Accidental Babies: "Do you come/Together ever with him? /And is he dark enough? /Enough to see your light? /And do you brush your teeth before you kiss? /Do you miss my smell? /And is he bold enough to take you on? /Do you feel like you belong? /And does he drive you wild? /Or just mildly free? /What about me?" it's such a fantastic chorus, with all the questions asked to the girl. There are also some witty little snippets, like the innuendo's about sex in "Me, My Yoke and I." "My fall, my fall/My fall gonna break ya/My fall, my fall/My fall gonna break your wall/I'm in, I'm in, I'm in/Like a big dog/And I'm in, I'm in, I'm in/Like a big dog, yeah/'Cause my god, my god, my god/Gave me a rod/My god, my god, my god/Gave me a rod/For Fishing, fishing, fishing/Fishing, fishing, fishing yeah/My drum, my drum, my drum/Gonna make ya/My drum, my drum, my drum/Gonna make ya come." He is such a talented lyricist, and I think the lyrics on this album are even better than on the last, and that's something. Al the songs fit into each other, well and It is a wonderful album to just listen through. Damiens powerful tenor to sensitive higher tones are fantastic, and my opinion is that he is one of the best singers since the passing of Jeff Buckley, discluding perhaps Matt Bellamy. // 10
Impression: The albums I would say this relates to are "Grace" by Jeff Buckley, because they have similar tenor to high voices, or "Trouble" by Ray Lamontagne, because of the similar personal themes in the songs. The impressive songs are 9 Crimes, Rootless Tree, Elephant, Dogs, Me, My Yoke and I and Sleep Don't Weep. I love the fantastic structure of the album, and there is very little I hate about it, except the annoying noises at the end of Sleep Don't Weep, and the less Lisa Harrigan, but even then, those are just minor annoyances. If it were stolen, I would most certainly buy it again, because although I listen to my copy in WMP most of the time it is a great album to just listen through. // 10
In my opinion, 9 is the album of 2006, followed by Artic Monkeys and Incubus' recent outings, so deserves the perfect score..... a perfect score for a perfect album
Actually, the only problem I have is 'Rootless Tree'. It sounded like a good song at the start, and then he just unloads, and I didn't really like that. But still, brilliant stuff,
thanks for the input, everyone, i really appreciate it.
Covin wrote:
while it's still a great CD, I strongly disagree with a perfect score.
in defense of my perfect score, i am an aspiring singer/songwriter myself, {not a terribly good one, admittedly} and if i could write an album like this, i could die and go to songwriter heaven. i suppose it comes down to to personal taste. this album really moves me. thanks for being gentle in your dissagreement, covin.
My person favorite is Rootless tree, when I first heard the song I was taken back at the bluntness. Damien is usually the kind of singer that directly attacks the song with a roundabout or metaphorical edge (cheers darlin, Prague, Blowers daughter, etc) but this song is just so straight foward that I couldn't listen to it. Once I got enough nerve to take a second listen, I was blown away. WHY? Cause I have been there and done that, he's purposely being str8 foward in order to make the girl hate him enough to let him go. AMAZING...he goes from calm singing and then just out the blue "FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU...and all we been through" wow...
My other favorite is grey room. In Damien's concerts he talks about this song being a song that describes how when he's writing sad songs it makes him sad because of the content...and how he hates to be so sad. The grey room is the feeling that he has when he writes the song...I love the concept. "I've been here before, slept on the floor in a grey, grey room" its an incredible song. It seems like he made it into a love song and realized that in the end...he has himself to make him feel better, and that the outside emotions of the song won't get him down. I love it.
Elephant is also a great song (blowers daughter 2) I've heard it so many times that I was kinda shocked that he made the studio version. Then as I was singing it along with the song, I noticed he completed the song with the last verse. It gave the WHOLE song a new meaning. He didn't choose either one of the girls, and he knows that he won't be happy. I love that ending.
I could go down the list for each song but why...just buy the album and hear the proof. DAMIEN RICE is the Truth.
This album is one of the most heartfelt pieces of art i have ever heard. It makes me so depressed listening to it(in the proper way). Damien Rice is a superb songwriter, it doesnt come much better then that.
Oh man what an awesome album. 9 Crimes, Elephant, Rootless Tree, Me, My Yoke and I, Grey Room, Accidental Babies all 5 star songs. But Im not a big fan of Sleep Dont Weep so this would have got a 9 from me.
I've got to say, i'm glad Lisa Hannigan hasn't got as much of a lead in this album... The lyrics in Grey Room are amazing, this CD totally merits the perfect score it has got.
The first time I heard this album, I found it very hard to listen to. I really like his music, but i always wondered why my first impression of this album was that i couldn't stand it, was I the only person who thought that?
We've detected that you are using Ad Blocking software.
If you hate ads, but love Ultimate Guitar, how about subscribing to Ultimate Guitar's Ad Free Service? If you subscribe to this service, you won't see annoying banner ads, pop-up ads, text-link ads or video ads and will be helping to support your favorite site at the same time.
As you know, we provide you with a lot of great, free content like news, reviews, interviews, tabs and chords, but you see, ads are the way we generate revenue to run UG and pay royalties to the songwriters and music publishers of the songs that are posted here.
Was this review helpful to you? 
