After a well-received 2014 début album, Benjamin Booker found himself with a case of the dreaded writer's block. So he left New Orleans and headed for Mexico, in the hope of finding a little bit of inspiration to save him. There, the Virginia Beach native wandered the towns, visited old churches, and, hallelujah, found the energy to create songs for his Witness. His more garage aspect is hidden here, showing him as a more complex artist. A musician who is turning towards the roots of soul. It's also clear that the Black Lives Matter movement has really fuelled his art, and that with this release, Booker is speaking to his many political engagements. Vintage soul (Witness, which even saw the great Mavis Staples join the action, Overtime), punk rock (Right On You), neo-grunge (Off the Ground): every corner of this second album is bursting with the energy of his return. Witness is a record which will do you good. But it is also a political record which offers a voice of positivity in a world that can often seem overcast and gloomy. © MD/Qobuz