Album Review – Kimmi Bitter’s “Bittersweet”

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Countrypolitan (#510.5) Classic California Country (#510.7), Surf Guitar-Inspired Country (#510.75) on the Country DDS.

For those that don’t see music simply as a distraction or something used to pass the time, and want to be transported to a different place, or transfixed by the alternate universe an artist can create, or ferried away to some far away place from the present tense, the music of Kimmi Bitter is the perfect wormhole back to a time to when the colors were more vibrant, the tones more enhanced, and the music more pure and innocent, though not without it’s own depth, edge, and even danger.

Kimmi Bitter is country music’s throwback honky tonk sweetheart with a voice like Patsy Cline, and a style like The Ventures. She stunned with her 2024 record Old School that earned a nomination for Saving Country Music’s Album of the Year. On the followup Bittersweet, she doubles down on the mod/Countrypolitan/surf/’60s sound that’s so succulent to the ear, and so reminiscent of such a more meaningful time in music.

The Kimmi Bitter experience always starts with her astounding voice, which in previous eras would have worked like a clarion call in the music industry to marshal all resources and deliver this once-in-a-generation gift to the masses. Of course these days, natural born talent can be just as much a burden as an asset. Unfortunately, those who lean on technology are often handsomely rewarded, while those who put artistic integrity first find a steeper way forward.

You hear what Kimmi’s voice is capable of in the opening song of the album, “Love Me Or Leave Me Alone.” Awash in the splendor of ’60s countrypolitan vibes with strings and orchestral-like movements, a simple sentiment is made into a titanic experience that leaves you chilled well after the final note falls silent.

Produced and co-written by throwback wizard Michael Gurley, any anachronisms are purged, and every detail is scrutinized to in no way disrupt the dreamy experience Kimmi Bitter creates in both words and tones. From chorus singers, to the steel guitar and unexpected (but welcomed) harmonica in the song “Over You,” everything feels so intentional, though leagues away from antiseptic or sterile. Every element brought to this music feels alive and present. Even if the perspective is steeped in the past tense, it’s conveyed in timeless themes.


But really the unexpected story of Bittersweet is the contributions of Kimmi Bitter’s other half, guitar player and beau Willis Farnsworth. Anyone who’s seen Bitter perform live knows Willis is her ace-in-the-hole. But on this album, Farnsworth is really unleashed, bringing his incredible lexicon of vintage licks and tones to bear in beneficial ways. This comes across in most every song on the album. You also get not one, but two instrumentals in “Trail of Dreams” and “Bigsby Burnout.”

Yet instead of using these instrumental opportunities to showboat, it’s actually the reservation Farnsworth exhibits in these songs that not only makes the moments respectful of the album’s intended era, but even more impressive from relying on taste and tone. It’s very Booker T and the MG’s-esque, and just enhances the fever dream that Kimmi Bitter sets out to create, while also creating another vector of appeal for the album for vintage guitar gearheads and surfer punks.

You run the risk of coming across as too fuddy duddy making an album like this, and perhaps a couple of the songs fall into that category. You also wish there were a couple of more moments where Kimmi’s voice was allowed to soar, or where the writing went a little deeper as opposed to sticking to the throwback vibe. But the musicianship, the exploration of tone, and of course Kimmi’s one-of-a-kind voice make Bittersweet a record that defies conventional wisdom on taste or genre. It’s just cool.

From San Diego, Kimmi Bitter’s Bittersweet is like if Patsy Cline and Dick Dale took a Woody to the beach and had a luau with and Nokie Edwards and Merle Travis. It’s a vibe for sure, and one like a wave that you want to ride off into musical bliss.

8.2/10

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