Who? Behind the White Williams moniker lies the seemingly quiet and unassuming veteran of the Cleveland DIY scene, Joe Williams. The synth savvy vocalist crafted his sound playing the Midwest rock circuit with former band member and current tourmate Girl Talk‘s Greg Gillis in the late ’90s and early ’00s. Smoke, Williams’ debut LP, which will hit stores Nov. 6 via Tigerbeat6, is a poppy departure from his noise rock past.
What’s the Deal? Smoke is ambiguous and oft awkward synth pop you’re just not sure whether you should be dancing to or laying in the grass. White Williams provides brilliantly catchy tunes with a surprisingly mellow temperament. Relying heavily on synthesizers and Williams’ airy vocals you’ll rarely hear the drum machine let loose a bass beat to bolster the happy toe-tapping rhythms. Combining live instruments with the algebraic nature of sampling on tracks such as “Smoke” and “Going Down” create a refreshing facade of autonomy while his cover of Bow Wow Wow’s “I Want Candy” can simply described as fresh.
Fun Fact: Nearly two decades before he became the mastermind behind White Williams, Joe managed to flush his mother’s wedding ring down the toilet.�
Now Hear This:White Williams – “New Violence” DOWNLOAD MP3
On the Web:White Williams at MySpace
Talk: Will you inhale Williams’ ‘smoke’?
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