Evanescence’s The Bitter Truth released March 26, 2021. The band was primarily known for their song “My Immortal”, from what I recall growing up, and was part of the ‘emo starter package’ in middle-high school. I never had an emo phase, but this was the first song I heard by Evanescence.
Moreover, they are one of my favorite bands. Many of the songs on their new album echo their musical style from past albums (Fallen (2003), The Open Door (2006), and Evanescence (2011)), with some fresh sounds.
Right off the bat, the transition from the first (‘Artifact/The Turn’) to second (‘Broken Pieces Shine’) track is immaculate. It is the chef’s kiss of this album. I cannot stress enough how I love a good transition.
On genius lyrics, an annotation explains how the opening track is actually two songs in one. The annotation said, “the first being recorded and programmed by Amy Lee herself in her laptop in a hotel room on tour in 2019, and the other a collaboration with Scott Kirkland of the Crystal Method.”
They also included a link to an interview where Lee explained, “I see the beginning of the album as starting from a Ground Zero place after a tragedy, and then, when the guitars come in, for me, that’s getting back up.”
‘Broken Pieces Shine’ is my favorite song on the album, and it’s simply because it sounds so good, but I also resonate with the lyrics. The line “I’m not fine” has made me cry during one of my vulnerable moments when listening to the album, and the resonation feels stronger.
In the interview mentioned and linked (and quoted in annotation on genius) above, Lee also said, “I see “Broken Pieces Shine” as an anthem for us and our fans.” and “It’s about letting yourself fall apart, letting those flaws become the things that we not only accept about ourselves, but also embrace.”
It’s a way of being ourselves, and the flaws we see in ourselves can be superpowers if we change our perspective a bit. She says it’s what makes us different and unique.
The third song I want to touch on is “Use My Voice”. Initially released ahead of the album on Aug. 28, 2020 with a music video, which is about using the power to vote. On genius, quoted from Billboard, she explained how for years this song had been “bubbling in the background” for her.
Before the pandemic shut everything down, Lee and the band got together to record, she said, “…it just became this beautifully empowering and seemingly important moment for me personally and for all of us as a band.”
Furthermore, she stated how she’s not one to get politically involved in music, because music is a way to bring fans together and not divide them, “I want the music to be our free place where we can all have something in common. But sometimes things are just right and wrong, and you have feelings that can’t be held back,” she further says that to be true to herself and her music, then she must speak out on what’s heavy on her heart.
With the power of voting, she says we the people need to embrace and use our voices, because it’s “amazing privilege that we have living here.”
Overall, there’s something about this album that stresses an emotional message about the bitter truth. The bitter truth being many things, and I think, just like with any other message in music, it can be applied to what we resonate with. This is how many fans find themselves in love with what certain artists do, such as Evanescence.
For those of you who don’t know Evanescence, they are among various rock genres, but are generally a rock band.
The lead singer, Amy Lee, vocalizes powerfully. If you’d like to know more about the band, feel free to check out their fandom wiki, otherwise feel free to get to know them through their music! Listen to the album below on Spotify, or through their official videos on YouTube I linked throughout.
With that said, I hope my insight has enlightened you and I’d love to talk about this in-depth! If you’d like to see more of my random content or would like to contact me, you can find me on Instagram, Twitter, or Tumblr. You may also email me at jrnw99@gmail.com if you prefer.
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