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Forgive Chamberlin if their debut album seems to end too quickly. The band seems to be lacking in patience. They had only performed in front of friends before deciding to record an album and had only played a handful of shows in Vermont before going on a national tour with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. Though the 9-track album is brief, Bitter Blood sounds like the painstaking work of a veteran band rather than an impromptu recording by new band-mates.
Originally recorded in a Vermont cabin, Bitter Blood retains a woodsy quality. It is a rock album more concerned with textures and layering than in riffing. The acoustic stylings and soulful harmonies keep the music grounded in the soil of the rural northeast. The half-a capella “Sixty Days” in particular feels like a hymnal sung in the shade of sugar maple trees.
Frontman Mark Daly’s vocals are powerful but distant, echoing through the vast Vermont forest. Chamberlin picks their spots for loud rock moments, such as the heavy riffing in “Souvenirs” and the chorus of “Fools,” where arpeggios give way to crashing guitars. “Paper Crown” features an R&B beat soaked in tremolo. The band thrives in the more subtle moments, though – musical breaks, layered vocals – like the beauty of the last remaining light disappearing through the evergreen canopy. Though Chamberlin never got the chance to make a name for themselves in Vermont, Bitter Blood does a good job of bringing a piece of Vermont to the rest of the world.
