I always have a slight negative feeling towards Damien Rice, because I get the impression he might have pissed off Bell X1 when he quit their previous band Juniper just as they signed a big record deal. And Bell X1 are, of course, one of our very favourite bands. Then again, if Rice hadn't quit perhaps Bell X1 in its current form would never have come into being - so we should possibly like him for that.
Anyway, Rice's solo work is pretty good too, and his brand new album '9' is out on Monday. You can preview tracks and check other gubbins at http://wmuk-apache.co.uk/hyperlaunch/damienrice/