The Bitter Sea Album Review

The first thing that strikes you when you hear opening track Lost In Translation on Nina McSweeney’s debut solo album is the remarkable similarity to Portishead. It’s not just the downbeat backing track, it’s that Nina’s voice sounds eerily like Portishead’s Beth Gibbons. Fortunately the similarities don’t last long, with Nina finding her own voice fairly quickly; it’s a voice that will be familiar to fans of Concord Dawn, as Nina has been a regular contributor to their work.

The Bitter Sea is a strong album, full of quirks and interesting hooks that only improve with repeated listens. It’s also quite a dark album, full of melancholy, introspection, and more than a touch of sorrow. It’s that darkness that makes it interesting to listen to; this definitely isn’t a pop album, yet is very easy to listen to.

I found the songs just got stronger and stronger as the album progressed, with Someone Told Me and Falling From Grace towards the tail of the album being my favourites, and the catchiest tracks too; I’d find snatches of the tunes would pop into my head for hours after listening to the album – definitely a sign of some strong songs.