Bif Naked - The Promise

Artist: Bif Naked Title: The Promise Label: 101 DISTRIBUTION UPC: 600336090128 Price: $27.98

About Bif Naked - The Promise

2009 album from the Canada-based rocker. The Promise, produced and mixed by Jason Darr is the product of turmoil, perseverance, and joy walking hand in hand, which fuelled her to write and record an album that is raw, real, relentless, and 100% Bif Naked. These new songs will give her loyal fans the classic Bif they desire, while attracting a whole new legion of followers. As Bif explains it, The Promise is the perfect title for this record. ''A promise is made. A promise is kept. It's one's word. I made a promise to myself and to my fans. This record is for us.'' Universal.

Bif Naked - The Promise Reviews

Average Rating: 5.0

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Rating: 5
This is Bif Naked's greatest album yet. That is saying a lot since all of her music is great. This album has several songs that you know are personal to her. She is a great discovery for someone looking for a great female artist.

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Rating: 5
I have all Bif's CDs, and believe me, it's impossible to decide which one is the best. I think that variety is one of the best things about her songs. Each song in each and every CD has a unique sound; "monotony has never found a friend in her", but no matter how diverse her songs are, they all have the unique Bif's sound and personality.

A unique and remarkable fact of "The Promise" is that Bif's voice was absolutely amazing, it's unbelievable how Bif managed to sing in so many different tones. For all this and more, a 5-star rating for Bif is simply not enough.

What I don't understand at all is that, as far as I know, there are no DVDs with Bif's live concerts. For how long will I and the other fans have to wait for such a DVD?

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Rating: 5
Well, I have been a Bif Naked fan for awhile and I was thrilled to see that she had a new release. Of course I ordered it right away and got it yesterday. I have listened to it a couple of times and it's really growing on me. Once again, Bif Naked delivers edgy and personal lyrics, catchy tunes, and awesome vocals. There is a lot of alternative rock and roll to this release, which I am enjoying immensely. I highly recommend this album!

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Rating: 5
Given the struggles that Bif Naked has overcome recently, it's no surprise to find the energy and emotion running on high-octane throughout. But what is impressive after all these years and all these albums is how the veteran rocker can continue to reinvent herself while retaining virtually all of the things that made the classic Bif Naked great. The blasting energy of "Sick" and the doo-wop influenced "**** You Too" are standouts, but the true masterpiece of the set is a song called "Bluejay," and it might be the best song Bif Naked has ever recorded. There is an exceptional song in the middle of the record called "Caio Bella," and "Amazon Hotel" is another fine track.

Led Zep influences can be heard throughout, as well as a host of other influences, but these songs all manage to sound like Bif Naked in the end. There is a bit more urgency and immediacy to the songs this time around - this is without question her finest and most consistent album. If you are a fan of her other work, or like this type of music in general, you will sadly be missing out if you don't buy this album!

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Rating: 5
Bif Naked's new album is an incredible mix of all that makes Bif a Queen of the Canadian Music scene. In the last few years she has overcome breast cancer and been married. Both of these have helped to influence and shape her music in a new way. There is an incredible mix of pop, rock, metal and techno. Few artists can pull off such a range let alone in a single album but Bif manages it well.

From the first track Crash and Burn we have the powerful refrain "if I am alive for the first time, I must have died inside so I could let go of things that weren't mine, I'm crashing and burning, you're crashing and burning we're crashing and burning". Then there is the oddly addictive song Honeybee, that sounds like a classic 50's or 60's rock song with intensely modern lyrics: "There's been a murder, in my kitchen, I hit him hard, I hit him fast, I watched him die, but for the life of me, I'm still missing an excuse, an explanation, a good reason why." Odd lyrics considering her recent nuptials, yet maybe not odd but openly honest as merging households can be difficult.[...]

This album is light and energetic in its feel and music yet deeply intense and pervasive in the powerful lyrics. Over all it is an excellent album and a great addition to the Bif Naked Canon. The only album I think is better as a whole is 2005's Superbeautifulmonster. Yet The Promise does have a depth and quality that will endear it to fans old and new alike.


Track Listing
1) Crash And Burn - 3:33
2) Sick - 3:40
3) Bluejay - 3:54
[...]
5) Honeybee - 2:53
6) You'll Never Know - 2:53
7) My Innocence - 3:28
8) Red Flag - 3:26
9) Ciao, Bella - 4:05
10) King Of Karma - 3:14
11) Amazon Motel - 3:43
12) River Of Fire - 3:45
13) Welcome To The End - 3:57
14) Save Your Breath - 3:04

(First Published in Imprint 2009-06-12.)