After eight years of radio silence, Damien Rice released his newest solo album, “My Favourite Faded Fantasy,” Nov. 10 with a collection of eight powerful folk songs.

The Irish singer-songwriter made his debut in 2002 with his album “O,” and gained popularity with his 2006 album “9.” After his second album, Rice retreated to Iceland and broke away from collaborator Lisa Hannigan.

But despite these changes, Rice’s third album emerges stronger than his first and second with its insightful and emotional lyrics and diverse accompaniment. It takes Rice’s music to another level in the folk genre.

“My Favourite Faded Fantasy” opens with the title track. It begins slowly with Rice singing in hushed tones before building to a booming ending.

The second track, “It Takes A Lot To Know A Man,” is a personal favorite. Rice intermixes piano and strings to transition from a slow ballad to a powerful one and then to an instrumental breakout. The nine-minute song causes its listeners to evaluate gender relations and escape as it breaks into a five-minute crescendo of strings.

Another standout song is “Colour Me In” which also intensifies as the track continues. The song is a moment of introspection as Rice recounts a love in a more upbeat style than in the other tracks.

Altogether, the eight tracks create a diverse album that builds, falls and expands over the course of 50 minutes. Rice’s choice to create longer songs allows him to make ample use of instruments and evoke meaning in moments of silence.

“My Favourite Fantasy” stays true to Rice’s original sound, but improves in its depth of lyrics and breadth of accompaniment.

Take an hour out of your day and listen to Rice’s newest album; you will not be disappointed.