Review of Bitter's Kiss EP 'Love Won't Make You Cry'

Chloe Baker of Bitter's Kiss highlights personal events in her life when penning songs on her latest EP, Love Won’t Make You Cry. 

Suburban life offers interesting fodder for Bitter Kiss, a New Jersey indie pop and rock act.  From the topics that makes growing up in the suburbs boring to adolescence angst, Chloe Baker produces a mature and nurturing sound.  She envisions it all into the compact package of her new 8-track EP.

Baker wants to bestow her gift onto those who want to listen.  Her songs often range between the tumultuous and peacefulness of everyday life and weaves significant life landmarks from the pages of Baker’s story onto viewer’s impression.  Inspired by real life events, the songs on Love Won’t Make You Cry are written as if penned from a personal diary.

The teen singer-songwriter lists her father, Michael Baker, as an ongoing influence.  He continues to be a positive impact by producing and providing the guitar, piano, bass and drums instrumental segments for the EP.

Baker grew up in a musical environment with her father regularly playing in bands and with a home recording studio and a guitar collection at her expense.  The New Jersey singer recently began turning to writing music as her emotionally outlet, penning songs that touch upon humanity’s hardships and most moving moments.

It is evident right in the beginning of the first song to the EP, which features the band’s self-titled track that Bitter Kiss is attempting to work something magical into what is known as the ordinary every day.  The indie pop track harnesses a good beat that is stirring.  Staring straight through the hazy and gauzy backdrop is a moody and rich pop rock track.  It’s a stellar, haunting tune that gets wrapped around the vocals.

The vocals Baker provides for “Waste It All” are endearing.  Those who listen to this track can’t help but be stirred by the personal touch that Baker evokes through the great musicianship and edgy singing that swallows out anything superficial.  The premise bewitches viewers in its emotional and arching delivery, and arouses in audiences the discovery of life’s most engaging lessons.

Again, the track, “Love Won’t Make You Cry” is as addicting as its predecessor track, “Bitter’s Kiss.”  It is as equally dreamy and hazy, but is distinct and has telling signs of mourning and tears.  You can hear the sadness in Baker’s voice as she vocalizes the sufferings of waking every day and waiting for the morning light to show up inside the windows.

“No One Will” observes love through music that integrates some Hawaiian flavor with a grainy garage rock feel.  It comes across as appealing and a bit old school.

Listeners can observe the mark of techno music leaving tiny traces of its influence over Bitter Kiss’s music in the track, “Lovin’ Life.”  Equally substantial is the fieriness and upbeat soulfulness of gazing on the happier side of things.  This is a drastic change from the moodier form of the other tracks.

Those who aren’t already impressed by Bitter Kiss’s depth of indie pop sound, will be arrested by the light-heart melody that gets played on “Already Gone.”  Viewers will find this track addicting.

In “Too Far Too Fast,” Baker, again, covers her experiences; this time around, the native New Jersey singer-songwriter documents the passage of her older sister going off to college and how it affects her.  The song is moody, yet is bathed in warm tones and carrying melodies that paints a close picture that chronicles Baker’s home life.

The abundance of emotional and tragic fare that gets played out in Bitter’s Kiss new EP oftentimes take on a swamp of sweltering deranged feelings.  The close operation to Baker’s sensitive material can sometimes get claustrophobic.

Yet Baker manages to weave a picture of melancholy suburban life with patented artistic merit.  Bitter's Kiss is a means for Baker to express herself and her hard won identity through her music.  She does so with an expert’s eye, and the detailing of music meshed with her skills for personal storytelling will set new heights for indie pop and rock lovers to embrace.