Bitter Tea (CD - 2006)

The restless and endlessly inventive brother/sister outfit the Fiery Furnaces proved astoundingly prolific (two EPs and three full-length releases) in their first three years, and along the way received both critical accolades (for 2004's BLUEBERRY BOAT, in particular) and critical drubbings (for the 2005 extended family affair REHEARSING MY CHOIR, in particular). The band's fourth full-length, 2006's BITTER TEA, might be the album to unite the warring factions, however, as it's arguably the most focused and fruitful realization of the Fiery Furnaces' unique aesthetic.

Combining the left-field, visionary shape-shifting of BLUEBERRY BOAT with the pop smarts of '05's THE FIERY FURNACES EP, BITTER TEA is a colorful, careening sonic journey that fascinates and unsettles. The music touches on back-to-childhood whimsy, musical theater sing-alongs, gnarled sonic freak-outs, and melodies that embed themselves for the long term. Like each of the band's albums, BITTER TEA takes time to absorb, but repeated listens confirm the general suspicion that the Fiery Furnaces are one of the most consistently creative and challenging bands of the 2000s.

The restless and endlessly inventive brother/sister outfit the Fiery Furnaces proved astoundingly prolific (two EPs and three full-length releases) in their first three years, and along the way received both critical accolades (for 2004's BLUEBERRY BOAT, in particular) and critical drubbings (for the 2005 extended family affair REHEARSING MY CHOIR, in particular). The band's fourth full-length, 2006's BITTER TEA, might be the album to unite the warring factions, however, as it's arguably the most focused and fruitful realization of the Fiery Furnaces' unique aesthetic.

Combining the left-field, visionary shape-shifting of BLUEBERRY BOAT with the pop smarts of '05's THE FIERY FURNACES EP, BITTER TEA is a colorful, careening sonic journey that fascinates and unsettles. The music touches on back-to-childhood whimsy, musical theater sing-alongs, gnarled sonic freak-outs, and melodies that embed themselves for the long term. Like each of the band's albums, BITTER TEA takes time to absorb, but repeated listens confirm the general suspicion that the Fiery Furnaces are one of the most consistently creative and challenging bands of the 2000s. minimize