Singer-songwriter Megan Burtt releases her latest long player, Witness, her first solo release in nine years, following The Bargain, which dropped in 2015. Witness reveals Burtt’s evolution not only musically but personally.
She explains, “I discovered a side of myself that I liked. I stopped dancing around what I really wanted to say and embraced a new level of honesty in my music.”
Produced by Burtt with John McVey, Witness was recorded at Cinder Sound Studio in Colorado, mixed by McVey, and mastered by Anna Frick.
The album features Burtt (vocals, acoustic guitar, felt piano, electric guitar), John McVey (guitar, loops, backing vocals), Anthony da Costa (guitar), Kramer Kelling (bass), Braxton Kahn (drums, percussion), James ‘Downtown’ Williams (drums, percussion), Eric Moon (keys, Hammond organ, synths), Adam Tressler (guitar, banjo), Casey Sidwell (bass), Will Honaker (keys, synths), Tomek Miernowski (guitar), Joel Ansett (backing vocals), Louis Cato (bass), and Jeremy McDonald (bass).
“Drugstore Brand,” a song written in Brooklyn, opens the album. According to Burtt, “It’s about ladder climbing and redefining what success means.”
Of the 12-tracks on the album, entry points include “Slow Motion,” traveling on low-slung, darker harmonics that exude hints of country-pop. Burtt’s vocals display translucent nuances, giving the lyrics a dreamy, lingering feel.
Vaguely reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac, “Unfinished Business,” a personal favorite, rolls out on a seductive, swaying rhythm and soft guitars. Burtt’s vocals, at once breathy and voluptuous, imbue the lyrics with gentle, gorgeous timbres.
Gritty guitars infuse “I See You” with a portentous aura. Whereas “Little Girls” resembles a prayer-like hymn, dripping with tints of wistfulness as Burtt informs the lyrics with sighing compassion. This is an affecting, beautiful track, another favorite.
Listening to “The First Time” is a sheer pleasure because of Burtt’s wonderful voice and exquisite phrasing. Blending blues, country, rock, and pop flavors, “Other Woman” flows like honey, with smoothly glistening surfaces.
The closing track, “Alone,” conjures up suggestions of Sarah McLachlan with its drifting, floating sonic gestures. The full beauty of Burtt’s voice comes through this song, immersing listeners in another realm.
Delightfully expressive, expansive, and pleasing, with Witness, Megan Burtt crafts a rich tapestry of colors and evocative textures. Surely one of the best albums of 2024.
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