Review: War Is Over - Smokey Joe and the Kid

Smokey Joe and the Kid are one of the most universally admired acts across the entirety of electro swing. One of the champions of the French swing hop sound, they burst onto the scene back in 2013 with their debut album Nasty Tricks, and have since gone from strength to strength. War Is Over (is that a Christmas reference? It is the right time of year – though it seems unlikely) is their third album, and features a whole collective of guest MCs alongside this production duo. Indeed, any MC should be willing to jump through hoops to collaborate with these two, such is their reputation. Having been very highly anticipated, the pair released War Is Over to the world last week.

The first track is ‘Motherless Jazz’, with classic lo-fi hip hop vibes, reminiscent of the likes of Guru. It’s a beautiful introduction to the album, and it’s significant that it features the word “jazz” in the title, as this this is most definitely a jazz song. With the beat not even coming in until about halfway through, this song clearly knows how to make the most of itself. It’s then followed by ‘Mama Gave Ya’, which is 100% Smokey Joey and the Kid. With a beat that’s funky as anything, this contains cut samples coming in left and right – including the famous Dyke & the Blazers ‘Sally’ sample – all placed on top of a massive brassy beat. Every single element of the song just makes it more and more hyped. And then we have ‘Let’s Go’, which reminds me a little of some of Caravan Palace’s recent output – particularly ‘Moonshine’. Featuring vocalist CW Jones, this is a bit of a chilled one; with an interesting beat that makes thorough use of the offbeat. The hip hop section comes through quite unexpectedly – representing the first rapped verse – which will be the first of many.

‘Beast on Beat’ then features R.A. The Rugged Man, notable for his feature alongside Marcella Puppini on her ‘The Greatest’ back in 2016. He has an excellent voice for this style, continually pushing forwards, and an unbelievable flow. The song itself fuses elements of bebop with more cinematic, almost classical elements. Then we have ‘Over The Limit’ featuring MysDiggi, which isn’t the best when compared to the rest of the album – but is still a catchy tune. The issue is just that, with the rest of the album being of such a high standard, this comes off as somewhat forgettable. One needn’t worry though, because ‘Stick Up’ brings us back to what we’re expecting again. With horns throughout reminiscent of Pharoahe Monch’s ‘Simon Says’, this track features both Pav4n and Illaman, who each complement each other in the best ways; and the interplay between the instrumentation and the vocals is also measured excellently. This is guaranteed to be an incredible tune when performed live – arguably more so than any other across the release. And then ‘Dirty Waters’ presents us with a really bluesy number, which is lovely to find in the middle of the record. Featuring, NON Genetic, some of the rhymes are seriously impressive, with the rapper alternating between sounding friendly and threatening throughout.

The next track is ‘Prohibition 3’; there has been one of these on each of Smokey Joe and the Kid’s records, and this is the second to feature Yoshi Di Original – who also brings with him the freshness of rapping in French. I wish could understand the lyrics, but what I can definitely translate is the mood, which is just sheer joy and fun. Both Yoshi and the instrumentals manage to create nothing but a good time – it’s kitsch but it’s honest – and supremely enjoyable. We then have ‘No Reflection’ featuring Blackout JA, who previously featured on Mista Trick’s latest release on the track ‘About to Blow’. Bringing obvious dub reggae vibes, there is a slight contrast in the instrumentals, in which the fun and joy of the previous track is continued, which overall creates a real party atmosphere. Although quite unexpected, it works really well. And following this is ‘Culture Clash’, bringing back two MCs who have already featured: MysDiggi and Yoshi Di Original. MysDiggi gets to completely redeem himself on this one – and it’s a really great idea for a piece. Smokey Joe and the Kid always present such a combination of cultures within their music, so why not make reference to this in the actual topics of the songs themselves as well? And it’s done so well – even the semiotic nature of the instrumentation presents this completely clearly. I also love the use of the Monty Python samples too.

‘Get It Done’ then presents another lo-fi hip hop number, with some bebop elements as well. The track features rapper Yudimah, who just sounds so relaxed, totally tying in with the vibe of the music. There’s nothing over the top here; they use only the most necessary elements; and there are some really nice jazzy chords towards the end too. We then have another bluesy one with ‘Hope’ – though not quite as up there as ‘Dirty Waters’. The track features Blake Worrell, though unfortunately is perhaps another missed shot, as it’s not too memorable. However, yet again – the record is of such a high standard that I can’t complain. Like the previous number, it doesn’t overdo anything, so one can definitely acknowledge the great use of restraint demonstrated in the production. And finally, the title track ‘War Is Over’ closes the record, featuring some trip hop elements that sound really quite dreamlike and experimental. There’s an absolutely fantastic, withdrawn beat featured; the drum loop here is superb. And in the horns, the scale that’s made use of is so effective, with each accidental bringing a new feeling with every individual note. ‘Motherless Jazz’ provided a beautiful introduction, and now we have a beautiful conclusion as well. This bookends the album amazingly, and there is no way one could come away from this release having not at least been left impressed by this close.

Smokey Joe and the Kid have once again demonstrated why they are at the absolute top of the electro swing game. I regularly go on about France having the greatest hip hop output at this moment in time, and records such as this perfectly demonstrate why this is also the case. One needn’t think of it as an excellent electro swing record that makes use of hip hop, or an excellent hip hop record that makes use of electro swing; this is an excellent example of both genres, whether being considered in relation to one another or not. And even the slight misses are still better than much else we hear across these scenes. There’s a reason why Smokey Joe and the Kid are adored by both fans and practitioners alike, and through War Is Over, that reputation is not going to change one bit.