Bitter Tea
by The Fiery Furnaces
Metascore
69

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 30
  3. Negative: 2 out of 30
  1. NOW Magazine
    30
    Two-thirds of the songs fail to cohere.
  2. Slant Magazine
    30
    Less a rebound from the indulgent for-friends-and-family-only nightmare of Rehearsing My Choir than a lateral side-step, Bitter Tea sounds like a desperate plea to be labeled as "clever."

Awards & Rankings

96
#96 Most Discussed Album of 2006

User Reviews

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User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 52 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 44 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 52
  3. Negative: 4 out of 52
  1. PaulJ
    Sep 7, 2006
    10
    Chewy and innovative musicianship combines with intelligent, thoughtful lyricism, to take your hand in theirs for a trip (in all good senses) Chewy and innovative musicianship combines with intelligent, thoughtful lyricism, to take your hand in theirs for a trip (in all good senses) into a private parallel world which provides much-needed disengagment therapy from the careworn workaday world. A musical highspot for 2006… Full Review »
  2. DrGoob
    Jun 9, 2006
    10
    Holy shit, The Fiery Furnaces did it again. It's absurd, pretentious and outrageously self-indulgent, and yet it's brilliant. They Holy shit, The Fiery Furnaces did it again. It's absurd, pretentious and outrageously self-indulgent, and yet it's brilliant. They make every album released since their last one look tame and conventional. Again. They are the 21st century successors to legends like Beefheart and Zappa.… Full Review »
  3. JohnD
    May 20, 2006
    8
    Let's face it: every Fiery Furnaces album sounds terrible the first time you listen to it. After the first couple of times, it grows on Let's face it: every Fiery Furnaces album sounds terrible the first time you listen to it. After the first couple of times, it grows on you. (Except for 'Rehearsing', which everybody except Spin Magazine hated, but then again, they gave 'Registration' a B+ in its formal review and then proceeded to name it ALBUM OF THE YEAR, which is just stupid.) Don't put this on when you can't give 91% of your cencentration to the music.… Full Review »
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