Witness was announced with the premiere of its title track on March 9, 2017. Booker published an essay alongside the announcement, detailing the experience that led him towards writing the album's title track. The title track’s references to police brutality and activism garnered Booker coverage in politically-leaning outlets including , which noted the album’s “urgent synthesis of blues, gospel and soul — forms with long histories of translating black pain into uplifting and enduring compositions … with a raw and unforgiving candor that's reminiscent of downtown New York punk. The opening track "Right on You" was shared on April 19 by The Fader, which called it "a staticky, high-tempo ballad that packs a punch". The third song to be released from the album, "Believe", was premiered by TIME on May 23. In the run-up to the album's release WNYC released a statement about it, describing Booker as “a punk & grit-infused songwriter whose ecstatic and soulful sounds channel vintage soul-rock, gospel, and blues.”
Critical reception
Upon its release Witness generally received positive reviews from contemporary critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 79, based on 15 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". In a review for AllMusic, editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine described that "Blues remains foundation and he can still indulge in squalls of noise, but there's a heavy soul vibe here and, crucially, Booker is embracing modern production. That much is clear from the way "Right on You" opens with burbling electronics before descending into a rocking riff that grooves harder than anything on his debut. Witness is filled with these kinds of left turns, ranging from the folk-soul of "Motivation" and the old-fashioned Southern soul of "Believe" to the psychedelic thrum of "Truth Is Heavy." This aural variety alone would make Witness an exciting record, but when these sounds are paired with probing political and personal songs, the album becomes something fresh and vital." Contributor H. Drew Blackburn stated in his review for Pitchfork, that it “makes retro music feel modern, reflecting on racismin America while drawing on blues, soul, and gospel.” Exclaim! writer Ryan B. Patrick wrote: "Witness owes its imperfect existence to garage-punk, psychedelic Afro-rock and the overarching and heartbreaking sentiment that ours is a system that we might not get out from under anytime soon."
