IN REVIEW: Benjamin Booker - "Witness"

The music on Benjamin Booker's second album is quite a dramatic shift from the raw, ragged noise of his first. While Witness, his new 32-minute set is bookended with its most fervent moments (the fiery opener Right On You and the tense closer All Was Well), the majority finds his songs taking a more soulful, mature tone.

It takes some getting used to since it's a completely different look and feel compared to that self-titled debut just three years ago, but given time and repeated listens Witness reveals much more substance and nuance in addition to a thicker and more vibrant production; a variety of backing vocalists (including legendary soul singer Mavis Staples) and some tasteful orchestration lend the tunes a depth that would have been drowned out by the gnarled guitars from the previous record. With those guitars blended into the whole rather than running the show, it results in some soaring, majestic songs; The Slow Drag Under, Believe and Overtime are particularly well executed in this regard.

This also feels like a much more important record, thanks in part to the social undertones felt throughout, perhaps most explicitly on the title track, which ponders America's strained race relations and challenges the listener to ask, "am I just gonna be a witness?" It's a call to action and the impetus for the album as Booker navigates issues both personal and political.

No, it's not as unhinged and brimming with electricity as that debut, a debut that I said pointed to an exciting future upon reviewing it. What Witness most certainly is is a more measured, thoughtful and assured record, one that may subvert the expectations of some but delivers upon every ounce of potential and proves there's much more to Booker and his music than cheap thrills and loud guitars; there is a message and a hungry creative force at work here, and that is truly exciting.

June 2, 2017 • ATO
Highlights Witness • Believe • Off the Ground