Search - Witness UK :: Before the Calm

Surprise

WrtnWrd | Northridge, CA USA | 10/23/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Every now and then you buy a record for no good reason other than you liked the cover, or were intrigued by the band name, or just needed to buy another CD (I refuse to leave amazon.com with only one!). Most of the time you get burned. Occasionally, though, you hit paydirt. With Witness UK, I was surprised there was an English band that I'd actually never heard of who'd managed to score a release on a major U.S. label. Before the Calm couldn't have been a bigger surprise (I can't even remember the other thing I bought). 13 tracks, all of them good to great, stylistically varied, no rock star bull, solid. More a throwback to great old English rock like early Faces than the current crop. That's all I'll tell you, because you might want your own little thrill of discovery (and because I still don't know anything about this band!)."

Atmospheric and Beautiful - Spot On!!

Matt Whittaker | Leigh, Lancashire, UK | 05/30/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Witness (or Witness UK to non-UK residents) have managed to produce one of the best and most unique debut albums of all time. Gentle dissonance and almost claustrophobic lyrics help to make this one of the most natural and beautiful albums i have ever heard. In Britain, people tend to stable them along with The Verve, simply because they both hail from Wigan. However, if you are expecting such an experience, you may be disappointed. But not with the music, just the pale comparisons. Tracks like Freezing Over Morning, My Own Old Song and Cause And Effect give a sense of looking out into the world from somewhere no one else as ever seen. "What's been happening outside? 'Cos i've been here so long, my skin's looking tired." The only bad thing about this album, is that so few have actually heard it. Certainly my album of the year."

'Couldn't expect very much more...'

Stephen Doig | New Zealand | 10/03/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of the most slept-on bands coming out of Britain, Witness have already achieved an astonishing level of musicianship with their debut album 'Before The Calm'. Nothing I have heard coming out of Britain in the last two years (besides David Gray), has come close to the wondrous, intense beauty of the songs displayed here. Witness are the perfect antidote to all the flashy, laddish Britrock/pop groups (Oasis et al) that prize attitude and bluster over real substance and emotion. For me, Witness' music is not easily defined as they don't sound like anyone else out there right now - 'The Times' may have said it best "..tethered to neither trend nor time.. Witness are a band to cherish". Introspection reigns throughout but with each song carries a tendency to break out into melodious spine tingling bliss - 'Scars', 'Freezing Over Morning', 'Hijacker' and 'Still' being prime examples. Coldplay, Doves and Travis have been trumpeted as best new band, but Witness are the far less heralded genuine article."