O
by Damien Rice
  • Record Label: Vector
  • Release Date: Jun 10, 2003
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. E! Online
    100
    Minimalist folk rock in its purest form.
  2. Entertainment Weekly
    100
    Rice is both vulnerable and seductive. [18 Jul 2003, p.76]
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  3. Amazon.com
    90
    Lush, impossibly mature.
  5. AllMusic
    90
    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.
  6. PopMatters
    80
    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.
  7. The Guardian
    80
    Rice's personality and deft songwriting hoist him above the mass of bedsit mumblers.
  8. ShakingThrough.net
    80
    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.
  9. Mojo
    80
    Rice establishes an extraordinary intimacy here. [Oct 2003, p.107]
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  10. Blender
    80
    This free-wheeling debut has the potential to run and run, carried aloft on the shoulders of the overly emotional. [#18, p.131]
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  11. Junkmedia
    75
    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.
  12. Uncut
    70
    His folky, cello-soaked songs will appeal to David Gray devotees. [Oct 2003, p.116]
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  13. Rolling Stone
    70
    Songs that, for all their quietness, leave a dark, lasting impression.
  14. Spin
    67
    His single, "Cannonball," will be there for you after your next breakup. [Nov 2003, p.117]
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  15. Stylus Magazine
    60
    You can actually hear the moment when the album turns sour.
  16. CultureDose.net
    60
    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.
  17. Pitchfork
    54
    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.

Awards & Rankings

99
#99 Best Album of 2003
29
#29 Most Discussed Album of 2003
40
#40 Most Shared Album of 2003

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.9

Universal acclaim- based on 108 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 98 out of 108
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 108
  3. Negative: 5 out of 108
  1. ImmersedInSound
    Nov 18, 2014
    7
    Not a very diverse album.
    O's songs don't have the emotional connection of an album like For Emma by Bon Iver and in places feels quite    Not a very diverse album.
    O's songs don't have the emotional connection of an album like For Emma by Bon Iver and in places feels quite repetitive. The lyrics and tone are wonderful though.    … Full Review »
  2. Ricko
    May 30, 2017
    10
    Spectacular debut from the Irish troubadour. A songwriting masterclass drenched in beautiful string arrangements. Tracks 1-4 are beautifullySpectacular debut from the Irish troubadour. A songwriting masterclass drenched in beautiful string arrangements. Tracks 1-4 are beautifully delicate love songs inspired by blind love. Things turn bitter and dark on "Cheers Darling", a highlight of the album for me. "I Remember" is a good snapshot of what this album is all about - soft, gentle and adoring on one side, angry, bitter and jilted on the other. Lisa Hannigan's vocals compliment Rice fantastically throughout and their harmonies and arrangements are the soul of the record. I don't believe either Rice or Hannigan have produced anything as good as "O" since they went their separate ways. "Eskimo" brings things to an operatic end - indulgent yes but absolute genius so completely justified. If you take that to be the end of the album then it's perfect. I'm not sure how much value the hidden tracks "Prague" and "Silent Night" add to the record. "Prague" gives a taste of what was to come on his follow up 9 and Silent Night is just a showcase of Hanigans solo vocals. "O" is flawless, a thing of rare beauty from the over-mined singer songwriter genre.… Full Review »
  3. Tombenelli
    Sep 21, 2014
    9
    This is totally heartbraking, one of the greatest debuts ever. Amazing album, from the soft ''Delicate'' to the magnificent ''Eskimo''. DamienThis is totally heartbraking, one of the greatest debuts ever. Amazing album, from the soft ''Delicate'' to the magnificent ''Eskimo''. Damien Rice is one of the best living songwriters. Minimal but great sound. Best tracks: ''The blower's daughter'', ''Cannonbal'', ''Older Chests'', "I Rembemer"..... no! All the tracks are amazing, I can't choose the best ones. Awesome.… Full Review »
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