Damien Rice Makes a Comeback with “My Favourite Faded Fantasy”

Damien Rice, an Irish singer-songwriter, has returned from an eight-year hiatus with his third studio album, “My Favourite Faded Fantasy.” Rice has been in the music industry since the 1990s when he was in the band Juniper. After the band’s end, he started his solo career in 2001. Rice’s first album was released in 2002, and it ended up being his most accomplished album to date. Although he was on an a long hiatus, he was involved in many collaborations with artists such as Ray Lamontagne and Mélanie Laurent. Rice’s music is also featured in many television shows and movies.

“My Favourite Faded Fantasy” contains eight emotional and poetic songs. Rice spent a lot of time working on this album and it shows through the pure excellence of each and every song. Most of the lyrics contain themes of love and life. The album, which was released in North America on Nov. 10, 2014, holds a score of 83 (out of 100) on Metascore, and it is well deserved.

The first song on the album is titled “My Favorite Faded Fantasy.” It is slow at first, but it begins to build over the course of six minutes and twelve seconds. The slow build comes with soft vocals, and then it turns into a powerful song that shows confidence. This is a common method that Rice has used in his past two albums. It is also a method that Rice uses in every other song on this album.

From reading many reviews on “My Favourite Fantasy”, it is clear that “Trusty and True” seems to be the favorite. It is the most poetic and weary song on the album. It includes lyrics such as “What is done, what is past. So fellas, lay down your spears. ‘Cause we can’t take back” and “We’ve wanted to be worthy of you, but weather rained on our dreams.” It makes sense why this song is both a favorite and the most talked about on the album. Saeed Saeed, from The National, said “…Trusty and True, an absolute slog with its cathartic chorale finale.”

What may be the biggest downfall of this album is that these lyrics have all been done already, just said in a different fashion. The lyrics are quite beautiful, but it is the same hopeless romantic story that has been told millions of times. However, what makes listening to the same story incredible is really the instrumental aspect of this album. The instruments featured on this album range from the cello to the vibraphone. There are dozens of different instruments used and together, it makes for a beautiful melody for each song.

Overall, the album is absolutely beautiful. It is much like Rice’s previous albums; however, Rice seems more self-aware than ever. After his hiatus, it is apparent that none of his talent was lost. It is a very intimate album, and that is clear in both the lyrics and the gorgeous melodies.

Featured image is from stereogum.com.