Damien Rice - O

The beginning of the 21st century found the UK offering a host of new Nick Drakes like Ed Harcourt, Badly Drawn Boy, Tom McRae, etc. On the surface, Damien Rice is not too farremoved from them with his intense vocal style, confessional songs, and sparse, acoustic guitar-based arrangements. Upon closer inspection of his debut album O, however, he seems to be more aligned with the likes of David Gray; that's not to say that he mixes folk and electronica, but just that he incorporates old-school singer-songwriter influences in the service of something original. There's a hushed, intimate feel to O, and most of the songs are delivered in a delicate, fragile tone that's perfectly accompanied by the bare-bones production. Tasteful strings and other touches are added here and there, but strictly on an as-needed basis. The closer "Eskimo" erupts into a (literally) operatic climax, and there's a bonus cut touching on an anomalous rock feel, but otherwise this is prime late-night music for your next Leonard Cohen costume party.(rice damien)