Mara and the Bitter Suite

Mara And The Bitter Suite is band from NYC and New Jersey and headed up by Mara Davi (Broadway actress, lyrics/vocals) and Adam Waite (Composer, Conductor, Music and Keys).



After collaborating on multiple concerts for Birdland, Ars Nova, and Lyrica Chamber Orchestra, they decided it was time to write their own music and find their own sound.

Their debut album "Unspoken" was released in July 2012 and is available on itunes and amazon. I had the chance to listen to the whole album, which brings a real touch of originality in the music world. The 9 songs is a musical trip rythmed from beautiful ballads like 'When I" and "Walking Thru Water" to catchy songs like one of my favorite song from this album "Playground Song". Moreover, Mara's voice is just beautiful ! I think you should like this album as well.
- The Indie Discovery

Break ups are hard. It’s a simple and complicated necessity for growth in the human heart. The obligatory over-indulgences of chocolate and booze play their roles in the healing process, but it is music that truly strengthens the human spirit. Sometimes, all it takes is one kindred friend coming through to you in a song and handing you a lifeline in the form of gentle guitar strings. Yes. Musicians can be the best therapists.

New folk rock band, Mara and the Bitter Suite, have their own remedy for ended relationships and self-discovery in their 2012 debut album, Unspoken. The band was born out of the collaborations of actress/singer, Mara Davi, and composer/conductor Adam Waite. After working together on various recordings and performances the two decided to enlist some of their friends and create Mara and the Bitter Suite. Though their music does not break much new ground, Davi’s beautiful voice, Waite’s skilled composing, and the honesty of their lyrics bump it up above the generic “good” variety of band. There is a talent and sensitivity in their songs that make them stand out.

Much like the turbulent ups and downs of the heart, Unspoken’s tracks delve into a varied swirl of emotions and energies. “Solo,” the first track gently showcases Davi’s voice paired with dreamy harmonies and guitar. A graceful violin chimes in right around the midpoint, emphasizing a sweet little epiphany about standing on your own two feet. The hopefulness here is prevalent through the entire album and there’s a real beauty in its strength. “Playground Song,” paints out an optimistic tune with up-beat piano and hand beats reminiscent of children’s games. The sweetest song off the album has to be “Clover and Clementine,” a little tune all about a special place filled with flowers and happy thoughts where you can go when you are happy with yourself. That’s an empowering message when you consider how difficult self-happiness can be to achieve.

Melancholy mixes into the album well, being that, belief in one’s self remains the connecting theme throughout every song. “Lighthouse,” is breathtaking in its emotionally charged account of a woman waiting for love at sea. Leena Waite’s violin really adds to the gloomy atmosphere. “When I,” the last track, is a moving pop song woven around oldie’s movie stars like Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. Ending the album with airy accordion notes and Davi’s voice showcased so gorgeously was a smart move.



In many ways Unspoken follows the laws of music. Waite clearly has a significant understanding of the way music works which is to the band’s advantage. Some of the most memorable tracks are when they tiptoe into something a little different. In “Lay Your Battle Down,” the song has Davi at her edgiest with more dissonance in Waite’s piano and Kris Rogers’ bass taking a lead position. “Hurricane” is another stand out. It is by far the most hyper and dance-worthy song of the album with Will Clark’s drumming coming across sharp and precise, the song breaks into interesting new pop tempos throughout.

Mara and the Bitter Suite have proven to be a positive addition to the world of music. Unspoken is a rainy day album comprised of well written and well executed songs with real sincerity. The band’s musicality and positive attitude have helped them make a lovely debut but you are left with a shred of wanting. A desire to see them experiment. Davi’s voice is clearly versatile and the possibilities of her sound are pretty endless. It may be that they haven’t quite locked in their sound just yet but they are well on their way. Their album is well worth the listen and hopefully just a glimpse into their potential diversities.

Wordkrapht Rating: 4 Stars


- Wordkrapht - Jamie Verwys

Mara and the Bitter Suite – Unspoken
2012, Adam Waite & Mara Davi
Mara and the Bitter Suite plays on the combined talents of Broadway actress/singer Mara Davi and composer/conductor Adam Waite. Davi has graced the stages of the Great White Way in productions of The Drowsy Chaperone, A Chorus Line and White Christmas. You might also have seen her playing Bianca Sanfino in Blue Bloods. Adam Waite is the Co-Artistic Director and Resident Conductor for Lyrica Chamber Music. He’s worked with dozens of Broadway Casts as a musical supervisor, and serves as a Director for Broadway’s Carols For A Cure. He’s also won several ASCAP awards for original compositions. The Tonawanda, NY native has been lauded by the L.A. times for his work, and has performed on Good Morning America, as well as at New York’s Birdland and at the opening Gala for the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The fact is that Mara Davi can flat out sing, and Adam Waite has an ability to craft arrangements that fit perfectly to her voice.

Unspoken unfurls with uncertain opening strains of "Solo", with a stumbling guitar walking Davi along. On the second pass things become more certain. It's a wonderfully artistic expression of finding oneself again on the other side of a relationship. The quiet strength that grows here is inspiring, wrapped as it is in an essential goodness that is palpable. "Playground Song" uses hand rhythms and the unfettered dreams of youth to sketch out a carpe diem vision of the future. The arrangement is a perfect mix of simplicity and complexity, with Davi's voice bridging that gap in precarious and pretty fashion.

"Walking Thru Water" is built on a contemplative melancholy vaguely reminiscent of early REM. The difference, of course, is Davi's gorgeous voice full of quiet accusations and even quieter hopes. This number ends in ethereal folk fashion, with voices layering and creating beautiful echoes that are both there and not there. "Hurricane" opens as part of an incessant if unobtrusive dance beat but turns into a new age pop number. This is relatively unsatisfying even in spite of Davi's voice.

"Clover And Clementine" finds Mara & The Bitter Suite at their very best in a song about personal heavens and perfect moments. The light, airy feel of the song is sweet, and you could imagine this being a surprise hit on commercial radio. On "Lighthouse", Mara and the Bitter Suite" delve into the lonely quiet of the heart of a woman whose love is at sea. Whether taken figuratively or literally this is a thing of beauty, and when Davi wails in her anguish toward the end, you can feel the unwinding of her heart strings plucking one by one.

"Unspoken" is about the strings of memory that tie old flames together. In this case it's a shared melody that will never mean anything to anyone but them. This quiet meditation is aesthetically lovely but carries a universal weight that is hard to ignore. On "Lay Your Battle Down", Davi offers up her edgiest vocal work of the album. The darkness here is underwritten with a gritty sort of hope, with beauty just a swipe of the hand away. Unspoken closes with "When I". If there has ever been such a thing as pure poetry on the form of a quiet pop song then this is it. Davi waxes poetic about movie stars such as Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. This is a tear jerker; a moment of utter aesthetic bliss brought to you by a flawless arrangement and the angelic voice of Mara Davi.
Mari Davi and Adam Waite would seem to be a perfect match, as evidenced by their collaborations on Mara And The Bitter Suite’s Unspoken. There are perhaps a couple of slow moments but not a stumble is in evidence, and there’s a certain chemistry within the songs that speaks of connections that are deeply musical and bordering on spiritual. Unspoken wants to be an alternative pop/rock experience, and manages to get there but relies on some artfully theatrical songwriting. Davi handles all of this with the aplomb of a seasoned veteran of the stage, and a voice that stops people in their tracks. All the while Waite is behind the curtain pulling the musical strings that back her up. The result is a brilliant mix of talents and sounds. Unspoken is well off the beaten path, and very much worth the detour.
Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5) - Wildy's World

An actress/Broadway singer and a composer/musical director venturing into alt/folk/rock would generally be an omen for disaster, but Mara and the Bitter Suite find a bit of magic in Unspoken. - Wildy's World