Bitter Tea 4082548 225448626 2008-07-13T19:19:52Z J Milburn Bot 7423137 All Music Guide has now been rebranded to Allmusic {{Infobox Album <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Albums --> | Name = Bitter Tea | Type = studio | Artist = [[The Fiery Furnaces]] | Cover = | Released = [[April 18]], [[2006]] | Recorded = 2005 | Genre = [[Indie rock]], [[experimental rock]] | Length = 72:23 | Label = [[Fat Possum Records|Fat Possum]] | Producer = [[Matthew Friedberger]] | Reviews = *[[Allmusic]] {{rating-5|4}} [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hl6zefuk5gf8 link] *''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]'' {{rating-5|3}} [http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=3813 link] *''[[PopMatters]]'' (7/10) [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/the_fiery_furnaces_bitter_tea/ link] *[[Tiny Mix Tapes]] 4/5 [http://www.tinymixtapes.com/musicreviews/f/fiery_furnaces.htm link] *[[Pitchfork Media]] (7.6/10) [http://pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/17932/Fiery_Furnaces_Bitter_Tea link] *[[The A.V. Club]] (B) [http://www.avclub.com/content/node/47819] | Last album = ''[[Rehearsing My Choir]]''<br />(2005) | This album = '''''Bitter Tea'''''<br />(2006) | Next album = ''[[Widow City]]''<br />(2007) }} '''''Bitter Tea''''' is the fifth full-length album by [[The Fiery Furnaces]], released on April 18th, 2006 via [[Fat Possum Records|Fat Possum]] in the U.S and [[Rough Trade Records|Rough Trade]] in the UK. After it leaked onto the internet on February 22nd, the band immediately started selling the CD on tour. ==Track listing== # "In My Little Thatched Hut" – 4:13 # "I'm in No Mood" – 3:39 # "Black-Hearted Boy" – 5:11 # "Bitter Tea" – 5:45 # "Teach Me Sweetheart" – 5:56 # "Waiting to Know You" – 4:01 # "The Vietnamese Telephone Ministry" – 5:44 # "Oh Sweet Woods" – 5:25 # "Borneo" – 4:17 # "Police Sweater Blood Vow" – 2:53 # "Nevers" – 5:02 # "Benton Harbor Blues" – 7:23 # "Whistle Rhapsody" – 4:20 # "Nevers (Reprise)" (unlisted) – 5:14 # "[[Benton Harbor Blues|Benton Harbor Blues (Reprise)]]" (unlisted) – 3:13 ==Backmasking== The album contains several instances of [[backmasking]] throughout. {| class="wikitable" border="1" |- ! width=20%| Song title ! width=10%| Time of backmasking ! width=45%| Backwards lyrics ! width=25%| Comments |- | <span id="A" />"In My Little Thatched Hut" | 2:59 | "Tears of joy, tears of joy, tears of joy, tears of joy..." | |- | "I'm in No Mood" | 2:10 | "And the pin in my hair was stuck in my head. I didn’t undress for bed. I was so drunk last night." "I swear the pin in my hair got stuck in my head. I didn't even undress for bed. I was so drunk last night." | |- | "Black-hearted Boy" | 2:56-3:56 | "See the smoke from your kiln, pine boughs burn the bricks dead hard in their fog as I stand cold with my back broke by the bog. Find your cross-cut saw, come blunt and jagged dry and try cut my tongue out to keep on your wall up high. I tipped my toe on the bamboo strip; I took stone honey in exchange for my rags. Don't dare paint your board moonlight white. Go dangle your fish hook out in the gutter again." | |- | "The Vietnamese Telephone Ministry" | Entire song, end to beginning | "I thought myself an unworthy thing, despairing of my case all the time boys. I thought myself an unworthy thing, despairing of my case all the time boys. Damn it all, damn it all to hell. Damn it all, damn it all." | Much of the vocal sounds backwards when played forward. |- | "Oh Sweet Woods" | 0:44 and 3:01 | "Oh sweet woods of delight, Oh solitariness. Farewell direction, farewell all affection." | |- |"Nevers" | |See comments | The vocals switch between backwards and forwards even within one line of lyrics. Full lyrics are available at the Fiery Furnaces' official site [http://www.fieryfurnacesforum.com/site/lyrics/bitter-tea/] |- | "Benton Harbor Blues" | 3:45 | See comments | The backmasked parts are gibberish phrases played backward and forward simultaneously, so it sounds the same when played backwards and forwards. |} {{The Fiery Furnaces}} [[Category:2006 albums]] [[Category:Fiery Furnaces albums]]