Damien Rice’s debut album, O, arrived to considerable acclaim and sales in Ireland early last year and seduced U.K. ears soon after. The buzz in the U.S. has been slower in building, spurred initially by the support of Santa Monica, California, powerhouse public radio station KCRW, and just now resulting in the album’s domestic release on the new Vector Recordings.
You gotta wonder: What the hell took so long? O is a stunning arrival by an artist perhaps as talented as such heart-on-the-sleeve counterparts David Gray and Chris Martin, if not more so. But unlike his counterparts, who mask their souls somewhat with electronics (Gray) and grandiose rock (Martin), Rice hides behind very little. Most of O features stark songs of loss and broken hearts shrouded only in acoustic guitars, an understated rhythm section and varying layers of strings.
Rice’s voice is the true gift, a gentle instrument that simmers into a hushed howl time and again. He is also supported frequently by vocalist Lisa Hannigan, whose stirring chirp makes for a match made in one’s own private hell. And that’s a good thing.
If the opening “Delicate” is an instant classic waiting to be heard, there are at least a half-dozen more songs that reach similar heights. This is gorgeous, stop-you-dead-in-your-tracks kind of stuff.
