According to his press bio, Jeff Witzeman was destined to be an actor (he appeared on shows such as Frasier) until he ultimately decided to swap learning lines for singing them. Judging by the excellent roots rock on 'In The Middle Of The riddle', that choice has obviously been a wise one.
Aided and abetted by the production know how of Evan Frankfort, Witzeman has come up with a solid album of Americana pop-rock as defined by the rousing title track, a memorable acoustic based tune with some well placed harmonica and Hammond.
The raucous, almost Country & Western stomp of 'God' follows up impressively before his cover of Barry White's classic 'Can't Get enough Of Your Love' stakes a deserved claim for highlight of the album. Quite simply if awards were given out for most audacious cover, this would win by a country mile, as Witzeman stamps his own vibe over such a notoriously hard song to nail down.
But this isn't to retract from the quality of his own material - the moody alt-rock of 'No' shines with some neat guitar distortion and effects as well as a killer melody before the emotive backing vocals of 'Center Divide' take centre stage impressively.
The satisfying thing about 'In The Middle Of the Riddle' is the wide range of material on it, and the impressive gang of players Witzeman has assembled combine superbly on the excellent 'Fade Away'. The rocking pair of 'Crazy' and 'Heart Attack' crank things up with some authority, and develop thoughtful lyrics as well as some diverse guitar textures.
The mellow, introspective 'The Playboy' demonstrates further the strength of Witzeman's songwriting and boasts some gorgeous lap-steel to give it an extra dimension. Indeed, sonically, this is one of the most radiant independent albums I've heard, with a crisp, rich production that perfectly frames each song without overwhelming any of them.
What else can I say? It's fairly clear by now that the quality of the songwriting, musicianship and production should leave you floored. Comparisons are hard to make, but 'In The Middle Of The Riddle' is a daring album with a real contemporary vibe that takes independent music to another, higher level.

Band Website | Contact band | Give Us Feedback on Review