Denison Witmer - Denison Witmer

by Maarten Schiethart

published: 30 / 4 / 2013

Label: Asthmatic Kitty Records
Format: CD

intro

Pretentious and unintentionally comical eighth solo album from Pennsylvanian-based singer-songwriter, Denison Witmer

Winning the Yo La Tengo Parody 2013 Award is Denison Witmer. Apart from his nearly perfect mockery of the soft folk pop genre, his terrible lyrics ice this cake. The opening track 'Born Without the Words' holds with the pretension of at least meaning something. yet on the next song 'Keep Moving Brother, Keep Moving Sister' the lines read: "Pushing my way out of the ground, I am ready for it/I have grown so old (..) mumble/mumble(..)/I'm better for it(..)/I'm not the corner but I'm turning the page/Till the sound of your voice like a distant star, my love" (..) Keep moving brother, keep moving sister." Right, just when you thought to have gone through the worst the next line reads: "Has the brightest colour in me faded?" And by now you'd shy away from giving him the honest - and very harsh - answer. For all that's left, it's not really that good a YLT parody at all. The echoing twang that starts 'Made Out For This' in spite of its soft-toned Hawaii atmospherics, too comes to a dead end. The pseudo-drama on 'Let Go A Little' delivers more fifth form sensibilties. You might be surprised from all this that prima donna whinger Anthony Johnson is not involved. Unintentionally comical, this debut album would have been slightly more interesting with Will Oldham on board. The best Denison Witmer can achieve is to shut up and play the guitar. His singing, and lyrics, cringe one's toes further with each track. In a few words Denison Witmer sounds like Donovan would after a completed lobotomy.

Track Listing:-

1 Born Without the Words
2 Keep Moving Brother, Keep Moving Sister
3 Constant Muse
4 Made Out for This
5 Let Go a Little
6 Asa
7 Take More Than You Need
8 Right Behind You
9 The Other Side
10 Take Yourself Seriously

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/denisonwitmer/
http://denisonwitmer.com/site/
https://twitter.com/denisonwitmer

Label Links:-

http://asthmatickitty.com/
https://www.facebook.com/asthmatickitty
https://twitter.com/asthmatickitty
https://www.youtube.com/user/asthmatickitty

live reviews

Barfly, London, 10/3/2011

Anthony Strutt watches Leeds-based alternative rockers I Like Trains play an excellent set of both new and old material at a XFM radio station gig at the Barfly in London