Bitter

1	Adam 2:24
2	Fool Of Me 3:30
3	Faithful 4:46
4	Satisfy 4:05
5	Bitter 4:15
6	May This Be Love 5:17
7	Sincerity 5:30
8	Loyalty 4:20
9	Beautiful 2:44
10	Eve 1:23
11	Wasted Time 4:55
12	Grace 4:27

Barnes & Noble

As a songwriter and singer, Meshell Ndegéocello is the closest thing the '90s has to a '70s era Bill Withers. Tracing his career arc into mellower territory, Ndegeocello approaches BITTER with a new attitude -- not to mention a new producer, Craig Street, who's better known for producing vocalists like k.d. lang and Cassandra Wilson than all-purpose singer/funkateers. BITTER focuses on the warmth and resonance of her voice, and her work here de-emphasizes the intense grooves and fiery, pansexual attitude of her first two albums in favor of quieter, more personal material with prominent, tasteful guitar playing. Her vocal model for a lot of these songs is ballad-mode Jimi Hendrix; in fact, the centerpiece of the disc is an airy cover of his "May This Be Love." Her own songs have a melancholy about them this time, but when she revs up her bass, the joy comes shining through. Douglas Wolk

All Music Guide

Bitter is an appropriate title for Me'Shell NdegéOcello's third album. Inspired by a torturous romantic relationship, Bitter surges with emotions, and most of them are shaded with regret, remorse, or bitterness. Undoubtedly, the relationship was painful, but it has given NdegéOcello an artistic focus missing on her two previous albums. It provides a sorrowful, meditative emotional template that she matches with moody, slow songs that flow into each other. It's the kind of album that demands close listening, otherwise it has the tendency to fade into the background. For some listeners, concentrated listening may be a little difficult, given the bleak emotions of the music, but NdegéOcello's subtle songcraft truly reveals itself upon close inspection. And, with repeated plays, Bitter reveals itself as the most personal -- and in many ways, most rewarding -- album of her career. Stephen Thomas Erlewine