The Kindly Ravens – Bittersweet Lie (2021)
Sweet or bittersweet, Cassi Marie (who also has an excellent solo single out) and Steve Boom are The Kindly Ravens who may be singing here about a ‘Bittersweet Lie’ but are no liars themselves. Cassi, who at the age of 20 already has illustrious music and entrepreneurial career, seems to have such an abundance of talent to delve into Americana/roots music on this single, and on the evidence of this track, it seems that as far as the talent goes, Steve Boom is no slouch himself.
Marie and Boom were introduced to each other in 2020, but since then have focused on joint songwriting, the result of which will receive a more detailed showcase when they release The Kindly Ravens debut album early in 2022. As Boom puts it, ‘Whilst we write in many different styles, we both love Americana, alt-country, folk and country, and this comes through in our writing.’ As far as ‘Bittersweet Lie’ is concerned, he says that Cassi already had a chorus and a verse “…which I loved the first time she played it to me. She had a bunch of songs that had been sitting around unfinished so I went away and wrote the verses, and then Cassi cleaned them up.”
‘Bittersweet Lie’ is a lively countrified romp done with control and style that also boasts some refined lyrics. Whilst the song has a very upbeat feel, it has a duality in its meaning. On one hand, it is about the way we tell ourselves little lies in relationships when things are going well hoping that things will get better. It also touches on unrequited love, a common theme amongst the duo’s catalogue. It tells how we can often lie to ourselves as it continues to give us hope in hopeless situations where you may love someone but it isn’t reciprocated. Enjoyable and thoughtful at the same time.
For more from The Kindly Ravens check out their official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
