Whereas Veronica Swift’s 2019 Mack Avenue Records debut, Confessions, contained songs that played out like pages from her personal diary, on the captivating follow-up, This Bitter Earth, she flips by crafting an ingenious song cycle that tackles sexism (“How Lovely to Be a Woman”), domestic abuse (“He Hit Me”), environmental issues, racism, xenophobia (“You Have To Be Carefully Taught”), and the dangers of fake news (“The Sports Page”). The singer-songwriter gathered material that covers multiple genres, including jazz, American musicals, and contemporary indie-rock fortifying her position as a leading force in genre-bending song presentation.
“I want this album have two separate approaches,” states Swift. "I wanted to start with women’s place in society now and how it's changing. During the second half, I wanted to address other ailments in the world, whether it’s racism or fake news. But I don’t take any political stances. I’m very clear with my audience that as an artist I just want to address certain issues as an outsider looking in.”
1. This Bitter Earth
2. How Lovely to Be a Woman
3. You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught
4. Getting to Know You; The Man I Love
5. You’re the Dangerous Type
6. Trust in Me; He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)
7. As Long as He Needs Me
8. Everybody Has the Right to Be Wrong
9. Prisoner of Love
10. The Sports Page
11. Sing
Veronica Swift: voice / vocals
Emmet Cohen: piano
Yashushi Nakamura: bass
Bryan Carter: drums
Aaron Johnson: flute
Armand Hirsch: guitar
Lavinia Pavlish: violin
Meitar Forkosh: violin
Andrew Griffin: viola
Susan D. Mandel: cello
Steven Feifke: background vocals
Ryan Paternite: background vocals
Will Wakefield: background vocals
Stone Robinson Elementary School Choir: background vocals
Walton Middle School Girls Choir: background vocals
