Joe "White" Williams has crafted a hypnotic debut album that manages to groove it's way into your subconscious with effortless charm disguising a complex and thought-provoking mix of various dance-pop idioms, from Eno/Bowie-style culture-vulture rhythms to mysteriously de-tuned Casio-funk. Williams plays at cool reserve, but this album is a smoke-filled burner for sure.

There has been some heat on the street surrounding Brooklyn's own (via Cleveland) Joe "White" Williams lately, and his debut full-length on Tigerbeat6 fully justifies the excitement. As his label of choice and recent tour-mates (Dan Deacon, Girl Talk) may suggest, Williams plays oddball, wriggling white-boy electro pop; but without any slight to those other talented entities, his music has a level of sophistication and songwriting acumen that should make Smoke a crossover success well beyond the crowded, sweaty freakout parties at which he has been toasted lately. The first impression, beyond that hookah-licious album cover of course, is of a modern take on the restrained '70s glam of Eno/Roxy Music/T. Rex/Bowie. Williams seems to effortlessly achieve that razor-thin intersection of joyful abandon and soulful melancholy that can make for seriously good times, with lazy, hypnotic grooves, weirdly sputtering, detuned analog synths and Casio bleeps, and a lovely, laidback vocal delivery that is all shimmery and vacant on the surface, but hints at something deeper than the parties, sex and violence that the lyrics dance around. In the best possible way, White Williams acts cool while burning hot, playing lightweight, oddball dance-pop while delivering enduring songs as well as excellent production. A truly great debut that has earned its name for sure...Smoke smokes. [JM] (November 7, 2007)