SOUND BITES

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 particularl...

So maybe I'd be showing my age by referring to Benjamin Booker as a "youngster"; still, the tender age of 22 is much younger than you'd be likely to peg him for after listening to his self titled debut album. To be sure, Booker's talent is raw, but it's not so far removed from what a guy like Jack White built a career upon (to wit, Booker's been opening for White on his recent tour dates). What's most impressive about this record is the many textures and feelings Booker pulls off with relative ease; from the triumphant, Chuck Berry-like bombast of opener Violent Shiver to the early Kings of Leon rough-and-tumble soul of Always Waiting to the White-like fuzzed out stomp of Chippewa to the slow-burning blues of Slow Coming to the evangelistic manic energy of Wicked Waters , Booker makes it all work in his favour, and all within the first fifteen minutes or so. As good as the album starts off, the undisputed album highlight is Have You Seen My Son ,...