Damien Rice managed to sell an amazing number of copies of his debut O (2003) in Europe and the United States. This made the Irish singer / songwriter one of the few successful European artists in the US at the beginning of the noughties. The magic was still present on the hastily woven successor 9 (2006), but the second CD was just a little less enchanting. Rice struggled to cope with the high
… expectations on a personal and artistic level and did not return until eight years later. My Favorite Faded Fantasy (2014) was worth the wait. The record is rich with ideas and full of emotion. As usual, the tormented vocals of Rice are offset by soothing melodies and arrangements. Ideal for the general public, were it not for the fact that the nine songs sometimes last eight or nine minutes. So the listener's patience is tested. And that's a good thing. If this record makes anything clear, it is that Rice is at his best when he does exactly what he pleases. (JE)more
