Review Summary: A wonderful album for a chill summer's day.
The first quarter of Smoker's Delight is Trip-Hop basking in summer's glow. Hooks and breakbeats swing like Cubana's in the quinceanera of their favorite niece. With that being said, Smoker's Delight is dynamic with a warm analog sound that is well suited for armchair listening (this facet of the album becoming more prominent as the record progresses). Nightmares on Wax certainly channels that noir atmosphere that Trip-Hop is known for, but he never ventures as far into that realm as groups like Portishead or Massive Attack; for Smoker's Delight, a little flirtation with this sound is just enough. The drum pattern in tracks like dreddoverboad is undeniably Latin, but the samples of RnB vocals and the saxophone riff keep it from being pigeonholed into any specific genre. These transitions and flirtation with different sounds truly made Warp Records so exciting at the time.
Pipe's honour has a blues-driven lick supported by deep rumbling bass, which is contextualized by a simple snare drum pattern and delightfully playful piano riff. It would be fair to say the listener is invited, perhaps even encouraged, to cosplay as Doctor Who as the album guides you through different musical periods. Smoker's Delight is evocative. Its ability to conjure images and sensations that are palpable and wholly engaging is astounding. These soundscapes are expertly manipulated to assist the listener in total absorption.
Smoker's Delight is nowhere near as experimental as other records on the Warp label, but it is certainly more thought out than many of them. George Evelyn's understanding of the importance of scale and depth is masterful. The transitions of low to high registered synths and the level of sustain in the drums are so meticulously calculated that constructions like "surgical precision" seem to be ill-fitting. A more fitting critique may be that this record sometimes feels more like a collection of songs than a cohesive album. However, it is a pretty damn good collection, even if the album's midpoint loses some of the thrills that wooed you at first glance.
The midpoint and latter half of the album by no means contain weak material, but they are a noticeable departure from the atmosphere that was crafted in the beginning. At an hour and 14 minutes, this album could have benefitted from some fat trimming, but this doesn't keep Smoker's Delight from being an excellent companion to your daily chores. Granted, if you desire a captivating experience with every track, this may not be what you are looking for. Smoker's Delight is good and, at times, even a great album, but this is wholly contingent upon where you are and what you are looking for when the needle drops.
