Drama

Bitter:Sweet

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 3, 2008)
• Original Release Date: June 3, 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Quango Fontana
• ASIN: B0017R1E5U
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #13,885 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #20 in

  Music > World Music > Europe > Scandinavia > Finland

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Two years after their intoxicating debut, Bitter:Sweet returns with their much anticipated 2008 sophomore release, Drama. Aptly titled, the album takes the listener through a range of heightened emotions and sounds. The meticulous production, impeccable songwriting, and sensual vocals are present as ever on an album that polishes the signature style introduced by The Mating Game. Backed with full string ensembles and horn sections Drama embraces a more organic sound that moves Bitter:Sweet confidently into the pop realm. Equal parts flirtatious numbers, and achingly beautiful songs; Drama is playful, moving, and sure to become a classic. Quango.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bitter:Sweet has done it again!, June 5, 2008

By	Bryan Mcconomy "Lil B" (Carbondale, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Drama (MP3 Download)

Drama has all the same elements that made The Mating Game a great success. This sophomore album is similar in style, but enjoyably different from the first offering from Bitter:Sweet. Definitely recommend all Bitter:Sweet fans to check this album out!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More upbeat than their previous album., August 14, 2009

By	Doug Pardee - See all my reviews

The songs on this album tend to be fun and playful whereas the songs on The Mating Game tend to be considerably deeper. There are a lot of feel-good songs here, where The Mating Game was a lot heavier on torch songs. There are also some unabashedly sexy songs on this album--Get What I Want, Drink You Sober, and (in the online extras) Trois--while there were none on The Mating Game.

The flip side of that is that none of the songs on Drama reach much emotional depth. "A Moment" has the most emotional depth of the lot, and it's still a "feel-good" song. "Everything" is sentimental but there's a difference between sentiment and emotion, and it's another "feel-good" song too. "Drama" and "Waking Up" are the only torch songs here, and neither one is a patch on Bitter:Sweet's work on The Mating Game.

Speaking of which, "Trouble" is a fun little song unless you're familiar with "Dirty Laundry" from The Mating Game, which covered the same territory about five times better. It's not that "Trouble" is bad because it's not, it's that "Dirty Laundry" is outstanding.

Shana's also reined in some of the wild poesy that marked her lyrics in The Mating Game, lyrics that were sometimes amazing and sometimes inscrutable. One thing that hasn't changed is that you can still do an easy drinking game: whenever she sings "drink", take one.

Don't get me wrong, I love the album (see the 5 stars I rated it?). But the musical choices are decidedly different: light, bouncy, playful, and sexy. Drama is certainly not The Mating Game II.

One other difference: this album comes with a lyric sheet for all of the songs except "Trouble". I love Shana's voice, but she favors interpretation over enunciation, and when combined with occasional odd choices of lyrics, frequent unexpected changes of cadence, and her whistled sibilants, it can be difficult to understand what she's singing at times.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very solid second release, August 11, 2008

By	Jeffrey Putz (Cleveland, Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Drama (MP3 Download)

The first album drew me in because of a certain likeness to Supreme Beings of Leisure, but this one is more uniquely lounge sound. "The Bomb" is absolutely impossible to drive from your head.

This album is a lot more diverse and varied, which keeps you interested start to finish. One minor complaint is the singer's need to lisp her s'es seemingly on purpose. "Sugar Mama" also sounds embarrassingly like "Don't Worry, Be Happy."

But if you can get past the emulative flaws, you'll certainly enjoy the album while driving or chilling at home.