Ro James’s debut studio LP, ELDORADO, was one of my favorite R&B albums of 2016. His raspy (and at times falsetto) tenor is kin to the early days of Prince. I have been waiting on him to drop some new music. This year, he decided to break his nearly two year studio silence. Ro James’s latest EP, Smoke, was released late March of this year. However, I was still jamming ELDORADO and nearly missed it. Now, I’m all caught up. EPs (along with shorter studio) are becoming more popular, especially when artists take an extended break in between albums.

Smoke was lead by the bass thumping first single, “Lost My Mind”, which features looped lyrics from the late Notorious B.I.G. His smooth vocals pair extremely well with the edgy production here. He takes a bit of a detour from his normal style with a more street wise approach. Thankfully, he pulls it off well enough that he should try it more often. “Outside The Box (How Bout That)” is more mesmerizing and seductive. This track sounds like it could have easily fit alongside the well crafted songs from his first album. However, his lyrical content is tighter and slicker here. He’s asking (but more so telling) his lover to let him have complete control over her body.

“Special” follows, showcasing Ro James’s higher register. He then slips into a lower tenor during the verses before it taking it back up on the chorus. Vocally, this is the strongest song on the EP. This song effortlessly fits the classic R&B sound of the 90s that is desperately missing in today’s music. “Devotion” is more tender, yet explicit at the same time (as he compares the taste of his woman to gummy bears). The song has layered elements of club groove and spiritual awakening that mesh surprisingly well together.

Smoke’s main objective is to seduce; a feat Ro James pulls off without coming across as contrived. Look for Ro James to be one of the performers at this year’s Essence Festival in New Orleans. I’ve seen him in concert once and have no doubt he will put on a memorable show. Hopefully, Smoke is just the portent from a forthcoming full length sophomore album.