Bitter sweet (2018)/ Bryan Ferry & The Bryan Ferry Orchestra

A large part of the theatrical swagger of Bitter-Sweet comes down to Ferrys voice. What is usually the tone of a slick, strange lover man a resonating baritone you can still hear at any Ferry live gig is here, purposely hushed to emphasize his songs world-weariest qualities and draw you closer. Of the loneliness I hide / Open your heart and let me live, he sings with a dusky breeziness on Reason or Rhyme, an eerie cabaret cut filled with tenor saxophone and muted trumpet battling behind him. If all this is Ferrys idea of how the old days sound even when attached to his songs it proves he cares nothing for nostalgia. Instead, Bitter-Sweet is as inventive and mod as anything in his catalog. (variety.com)