RICE, DAMIEN

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.

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