Time for a Witness

Most of the lyrics were written by Glenn Mercer.^[4] The album was coproduced by Gary Smith.^[5] The band would tape their rehearsals and look for interesting parts in the jams.^[6] "What She Said" uses harmonica and slide guitar.^[7] "Real Cool Time" is a cover of the Stooges song.^[8]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[9]
Calgary Herald	A−[10]
Chicago Tribune	[11]
Robert Christgau	A[12]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[13]
Entertainment Weekly	B[14]
Orlando Sentinel	[7]
Pitchfork	7.9/10[15]
Rolling Stone	[16]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	7/10[17]

The Chicago Tribune wrote that "guitar lines become modal-jazz arabesques, dissolve into dissonance, then finally return to some vigorous variation of the three-chord strum, while the rhythm section builds a mantra-like momentum."^[11] The Calgary Herald deemed the album "melodic mood pieces from the musical children of Lou Reed wrapped in fragile swirls of electric sound and lit by the neon's red glare."^[10] The Washington Post concluded: "Such tracks as 'Sooner or Later' and 'Doin' It Again' offer as many twangy thrills as a great Rolling Stones song, but the Feelies don't pretend that their guitars express passion or rage or fear. Their guitars express guitars."^[18]

The Toronto Star determined that "Mercer and fellow guitarist Bill Million build dense, unrelenting guitar textures shot through with simple solo lines."^[19] The New York Times called Time for a Witness "a musically austere record in which the guitars of Mr. Million and Glenn Mercer, the band's lead singer and lyricist, interlock eloquently."^[20]