Album Review: Denison Witmer, The Ones Who Wait
By Angel Baker
Denison Witmer‘s newest record, The Ones Who Wait is a few years overdue but worth the wait. The soft-spoken folk rock singer from Philadelphia, PA, delivers 11 beautiful, somber, and impassioned tracks on this unassuming serenade. Taking cues from singer-songwriter greats like the departed Vic Chestnutt and Elliot Smith, Witmer bears more than skilled lyricism, he pours the pain of a hundred souls into each and every melody, hum, and strum.
A labored project, The Ones Who Wait, came together over years and amidst the passing of Witmer’s father. In this respect, it could be the saddest record of 2011. On the other hand, Witmer finds an optimism on songs like “Influence,” one of the more upbeat tracks on the album, and “Two And A Glass Rose,” a simple acoustic ode. The record needs some of this uplifting because, for the most part, The Ones Who Wait is heartbreaking.
Songs like “Every Passing Day” and “One More Day” are outright stabbing. The former is quiet and eery (much like Jeffrey Luck Lucas’ “On The Llano”) and relentlessly somber. Lyrics like, “I don’t remember where the pieces fell,” linger with a ghostly echo. On “One More Day,” Witmer brings us into the pain and asks us if we understand how deep it goes. The closing lyric, “Can’t you see how much this hurts me?” cuts deep at the end of this short, but haunting, track.
Witmer’s at his best on “Cursing,” a passionate challenge to faith that takes the record out of the slow-stare-out-the-window pace. It adds layers of vocals and is this writer’s bet for best live performance.
The Ones Who Wait is a gorgeous accomplishment but proceed with caution. This record is beautiful but beyond heavy.
Buy The Ones Who Wait on bandcamp for $10.00 (with bonuses) and on iTunes for $9.99.
Rating: 9/10
Tracklist:
1. Hold On
2. Brooklyn With Your Highest Wall
3. Life Before Aesthetics
4. Your Friend
5. Influence
6. Every Passing Day
7. Light On My Face
8. Two And A Glass Rose
9. One More Day
10. Cursing
11. I Live In Your Ghost
