Note: This review originally appeared in the Illinois Entertainer in 2004.
The Witnesses have a taste for mischief on their full-length debut, Tunnel Vision, weaving humor and a vivid imagination through glam, garage, and new wave music. No wonder the New York band’s press kit includes a bio in comic book form. Vocalist-guitarist Oakley Munson and keyboards player-vocalist Bonnie Bloomgarden can both sing lead, although it’s Munson who takes charge on most of these tracks.
The mid-tempo “I Should Not Have To Ask” and “Contact High” exude a Stones-like swagger, and Munson is also up for delivering the more frantic material like “Stop Pretending” and “Boom Boom.” “Drop By Drop” starts out as a 1960s style instrumental before Bloomgarden vamps through a tale of a romantic encounter. “Mannequin” is a clever satire on fame, while the title track features male-female vocal interplay reminiscent of The B-52’s. Like those new wave pranksters, The Witnesses are at their most enjoyable when the party is out of bounds.
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