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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

O
by Damien Rice


9.0

based on 16 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 62 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

Official Artist Site

This full-length debut for the Irish singer/songwriter has moved beyond his home country (where it was a massive hit) to attract critical praise and strong sales worldwide. Mostly self-produced and recorded, the disc also comes in specially-designed packaging including text, artwork and photographs.

LABEL:	Vector
RELEASE DATE:	10 June 2003
DISCS:	1 disc
GENRE(S):	Singer-Songwriter, Folk, Rock

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

E! Online

Minimalist folk rock in its purest form.

100

Entertainment Weekly

Rice is both vulnerable and seductive. [18 Jul 2003, p.76]

All Music Guide

One long angelic hymn for an insane world with the intimacy of a friend playing guitar in your living room and the grandeur of Sigur Rós.

Amazon.com

Lush, impossibly mature.

PopMatters

With O, Rice has brought something new to the singer/songwriter genre: an accomplished sense of dramatics that keeps his music from ever becoming earthbound.

The Guardian

Rice's personality and deft songwriting hoist him above the mass of bedsit mumblers.

ShakingThrough.net

A gifted, natural performer, Rice has had little problem connecting with audiences, filling O's quiet stretches with a likeable persona developed from his previous life busking on the streets of Europe.

Mojo

Rice establishes an extraordinary intimacy here. [Oct 2003, p.107]

Blender

This free-wheeling debut has the potential to run and run, carried aloft on the shoulders of the overly emotional. [#18, p.131]

Junkmedia

At times, Rice definitely over-emotes, leaving behind any sense of subtlety in his delivery. But at his best, on songs like "Volcano" and "The Blower's Daughter", he hits upon a perfect blend of warmth and expansiveness.

Uncut

His folky, cello-soaked songs will appeal to David Gray devotees. [Oct 2003, p.116]

Rolling Stone

Songs that, for all their quietness, leave a dark, lasting impression.

Spin

His single, "Cannonball," will be there for you after your next breakup. [Nov 2003, p.117]

CultureDose.net

Lucky for him, he has Lisa Hannigan on board on several tracks in this album--her breathtaking vocals almost manage to make this take of epic heartbreak to the backdrop of Irish lullabies worthwhile. Almost.

Stylus Magazine

You can actually hear the moment when the album turns sour.

Pitchfork

The big, inescapable problem with O is that, aside from being derivative, Rice's songwriting is also unbearably repetitive-- he stubbornly relies upon time-tested singer/songwriter formulas (quiet acoustic strumming and sober, wavering vocals), and repeats them almost exactly the same way, every time.

The average user rating for this album is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 62 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Chris gave it a10:
Well, the blowers daughter was written about his clarinet teachers daughter." The pupil in denial" It's mysterious when listening to the song unknowingly. But once you actually know what he is talking about when he's singing, it's a much different experience. And I know no one who can play and sing with such passion. Guitar isn't about technical skill. IT'S ABOUT PASSION!

Aniruddha B. gave it a10:
O has gotta be the best album i ever listened to... good enough for me to comment on it.

Matt W gave it a4:
wow... this sure was an experience. shitty cliched lyrics mixed with bad production values, not to mention Damien Rice is an incompetent guitarist (has anyone actually listened to the lyrics of the blowers daughter... eck).

Jenna H gave it a10:
This album is deep. Listening to the lyrics and the Damien's voice really bring everything together.

Pepsicolka h gave it a10:
great.

L V. gave it a10:
no doubt

Ingrid P gave it a10:
wow! I bought this album solely because of one song (The Blowers Daughter) and I absolutely adore it. Seeing Damien and Lisa perform live would be incredible. Favorite song? " I remember", and also "Cold Water", even if the chanting bits are a tad strange.

O by Damien Rice

O
by Damien Rice