Bittersweet
C. Moss | in the middle of nowhere, OH | 05/14/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Spitfire has always been an intriguing band. Their searing guitars and the pristine, guttural vocals of Jonathan Spencer are intoxicating and entrancing. This album is no different, musically the CD is great, but the imagery is dark and disturbing. I am referencing the imagery of the lyrics and the pictures in the insert. This is a very good CD but I found it a bit too dark for my tastes. Jon tends to focus on all the negatives in our society and culture, from commercialism to sexual abuse and prostitution. However, there is nothing lyrically that would indicate that there is anything good about our culture. I guess I am left to use my imagination. The musicianship is great throughout. There are a few interludes with just eerie keyboard sounds and droning guitar notes which adds a very dark undertone to the album. The cd ends with ambient keyboard sound with also a very faint message under the music, which I believe it is the same message that was played in the settlement of the Peoples Temple, the cult Jimmy Jones slaughtered with cyanide flavor-aid in Jonestown, Guyana in 1978. I would just rather not dwell on the negative of our society, but overall the album is good with the exception of the lyrics. Don't get me wrong, the lyrics are deep and he makes good points but there is too much smut to filter through to extrapolate anything good from this album."