Damien Rice's album "9", released in November 2006, is a significant work both in his career and the context of the mid-2000s music scene. Here’s a breakdown of the album, the artist, and its cultural relevance at the time:
The Artist & The Preceding Success of "O"
Before "9", Damien Rice was already a well-established figure in the indie and folk scenes. His debut album, "O" (2002), was a massive word-of-mouth success. It was celebrated for its raw, emotional honesty, minimalist acoustic arrangements, and the captivating vocal interplay between Rice and singer Lisa Hannigan. "O" set a very high bar and created a massive anticipation for his next release. Rice was seen as a leading voice in the resurgence of the singer-songwriter genre.
The Album: "9"
"9" was a deliberate departure from the quiet intimacy of "O". It's a louder, darker, and more musically complex album.
Sound: While still rooted in folk, the album incorporates more electric guitars, heavier drum sections, and elaborate orchestral arrangements. Tracks like "Rootless Tree" and "Me, My Yoke + I" are surprisingly aggressive and rock-oriented, showcasing a frustration and anger only hinted at in his debut.
Themes: The lyrical themes remain centred on love, heartbreak, vulnerability, and dysfunctional relationships, but are often expressed with bitterness and intensity.
Key Tracks:
"9 Crimes": The opening track and lead single, this haunting piano duet with Lisa Hannigan, became one of his most famous songs and perfectly captured the melancholic and dramatic tone of the album.
"Elephant": A slow-building, emotionally devastating ballad that is more reminiscent of the style of "O".
"Rootless Tree": A powerful, almost vitriolic rock song that surprised many listeners with its raw energy.
Cultural Relevance at the Time
The mid-2000s were a fertile period for indie music, and the singer-songwriter genre was commercially and critically popular. Artists like Sufjan Stevens, Iron & Wine, and Bon Iver (who would emerge shortly after) were shaping the sound of indie folk.
Expectation vs. Reality: "9" was released into this environment with immense expectations. Its shift in tone was polarizing. Some critics praised it as a brave, mature, and necessary evolution, showing Rice's artistic growth and refusal to repeat a successful formula. Others felt it lost the raw, unpolished magic of "O", finding the fuller production and louder dynamics a step in the wrong direction.
The End of an Era: The album is also significant because it captures the final, and reportedly very tense, collaboration between Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan. The creative and personal chemistry between them was a massive part of the appeal of "O". Shortly after the tour for "9", Hannigan was famously fired from the band. For many fans, "9" represents the sound of that partnership fracturing, making it a poignant and bittersweet listen in retrospect.
In summary, "9" is an album defined by the pressure of following up a beloved debut. It reflects an artist grappling with success and deliberately pushing against the "sensitive folk singer" box he had been put in. Culturally, it stands as a darker, more complex, and challenging record from one of the key figures of the 2000s singer-songwriter movement, and it marks the end of his iconic collaboration with Lisa Hannigan.