well they're both singer/songwriters, so they're not that different... and the thing I don't like about Rice is that he's sometimes a bit too much exagerrating in his passionately singing...

I don't think he's bad, he writes nice songs, but I don't know, there's always something that bugs me in the songs that I've heard, maybe I should take a closer listen...

Damien has a band [with vocals, cello, drums and bass].
I don't quite understand what you mean when you say he sings too passionately...

Well I can't exactly explain what I mean...

Orpheus, do you mean he "overdoes" it a bit? It seems that way to me. Maybe it's just that i've grown to realize heartache and being as-low-as-possible are not the only really strong emotions? although, i must say, on a rainy day i'm on the same wave-lenght with mr rice...

by the way, i just borrowed an elliot smith disk from a friend and after such a lot of talk about it here, i'm going to listen it RIGHT NOW

Yeah that's exactly what I mean... Smith is melancholic too, but rather in an undercooled way, which makes it even more depressing, but I'll stop with these comparisons now... I think I'm annoying the Rice fans here

that's what i meant when i described rice as too contrived. well i think i did, sometimes i think things then forget to type them, and i say stuff like that and everyone's like, wtf? and then i ramble like this to explain myself but i think ESSENTIALLY:

while rice seems to put effort into his "emotion", what smith wrote and the way he produced/sung the song always seemed natural and real. i think his gathering material and inspiration from his own life leaves it a lot easier to gain empathy and therefore that is the reason that i like him a LOT more than rice. smith's "emotion" was real, it was a tangible thing when you listened to his stuff.

i mean, you're offered strawberry essence or real strawberries. only an idiot would pick the essence.

Bah!! Elliot Smith was a SAD CUNT who couldn't handle any pressure! At least Damien Rice hasn't stabbed himself to death.

That's okay.
If I want to hear people screaming how much they love Damien, I can visit the Damien Rice forum.

Some people just have more demons than others... and it's not yet proven that he did the stabbing himself....