Denison Witmer "Are You a Dreamer?" (The Militia Group)
By Tim Den
Wednesday. Aug 03, 12:03 AM
Engaging prose and proactive imagination: musical satisfaction.

(read an interview with Denison here)

After a covers album (Recovered) and a foray into rock-ier terrain (…And Flows into the Sea), Denison Witmer is back doing what he does best: quiet, affectionate, existential acoustic singer/songwriter fragility. Are You a Dreamer? contains some of his mellowest work to date, tackling subject matters that relate to dreaming (be it the actual act or in terms of envisioning better futures), but never do they feel weak or powerless. The warmth is thick and the melodies vivacious, particularly on the title track where the chorus glides on a harmonized vocal line from heaven. His trademark finger plucking (on custom-tuned guitars, no less) is graceful and firm, with just enough dazzling hammer-ons and pull-offs to fill in the gaps left behind by the spaciousness of the songs.

And though most singer/songwriter fodder mire themselves in relationship woe-is-me, Are You a Dreamer? goes beyond such pedestrian whining. Aside from the lyrical focus that the album title implies, Witmer visits (presumably) deceased relatives, British castles and cathedrals, and insomnia to relay the miles on his soul’s odometer. The results are peaceful meditations that don’t lack engaging prose, proactive imagination, or musical satisfaction: again upholding Witmer as one of this generation’s best songwriters.
www.denisonwitmer.com
www.themilitiagroup.com

Tim Den

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