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Bittersweet Image
Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 4 Critic Reviews What's this?

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  • Summary: The tenth full-length studio release for the Australian country singer was produced by Nick DiDia and features a guest appearance from Bernard Fanning of Powderfinger.
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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. Jul 24, 2015
    91
    Throughout the album, Chambers displays a remarkable ability to weave sharp wit with lyrics that touch on loss and desperation.
  2. 80
    Her most diverse work yet, careening from the stark acoustic with sparse drums and bass opening “Grace” to the crashing, grinding grunge guitars of “Wheelbarrow,” the latter an electrifying performance closer to Nirvana than anything in the Americana genre Chambers calls home.
  3. Jul 24, 2015
    80
    Bittersweet is a strong, satisfying album from one of the best and most distinctive singer/songwriters of her day, and this confirms she can move in any number of different directions and still offer her listeners something remarkable.
  4. Jul 24, 2015
    70
    For the other ten of the dozen tracks, Chambers takes on a more adult persona and sings with a deeper voice about heavier subjects, even when her lyrics get cheeky.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. Dec 2, 2015
    7
    Let me start by saying that in my opinion "too late to save me" is the best track I've heard in country music this year, and that half of myLet me start by saying that in my opinion "too late to save me" is the best track I've heard in country music this year, and that half of my review will be directed towards this song because that's how strongly I feel about it.

    Also, in respects to the rest of the album, I did not feel the same way. Every track is interesting lyrical--songs like "oh grace" and "stalker" are examples of these, but there is not enough in it sonically to keep one coming back. I do not regret the time I spent listening through the album--I found it very refreshing even in the age of Monroe, Musgraves, Clark, Isbell, Stapleton and the likes. She seems to be a different kind country.

    Religious, especially Christianity ideology is all over this secular minded album and it is these spiritual undertones that comes to a head to on the song "too late."

    The narrator of the song is trying to convince someone (the listening, her close Christian community and/family, and mostly herself) that her sins are behind redemption. The lyrics themselves  leads on to come away with one of two impression. This could be a rebellious, even uplifting freedom cry against the social oppression of the modern church (which is still a thing even though there is no longer any witch burnings that I am aware of). Or it can be interpreted as a painful surrender to darkness, a reluctant surrender whereby doing so, the narrator is break ties with those who care about her. I think that this song can be both at the same time make this track the performance of the year. A beautiful Christmas song follows it to suggest that the second interpretation--along with the track "do god exist"-- should at least be considered. In short, I was blown away by this songs but that by the album. She is obviously a dangerously talented individual...I think the production, overall, could have been a little more adventurous
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