The superficial comparisons between Santi White aka Santogold and hipster darling MIA are just that — superficial. It is only when White uses an off-the-cuff or repetitive adlib on her self-titled debut that even a remote comparison can be drawn between the two. The fact is, when you peel back the layers on Santi White’s musical career, you find that the Philadelphia native comes from a distinct and storied pedigree of musicians precluding her from being anybody’s clone. As the front woman for Philadelphia-based punk band Stiffed and co-writer/producer for Res’ 2001 epic debut album How I Do, White has fashioned herself into an accomplished songwriter who knows her way around a recording studio. Santogold is a strong display of her artistic résumé.

Santogold draws its influence from a number of different sources as White corrals several quasi-related genres on this album. The even-keeled swagger of “L.E.S. Artistes” is similar to the soulful rock material she penned for Res. Elsewhere, the drive and pace of “You’ll Find A Way” and “Say Aha” show traces of White’s longstanding collaborative relationship with members of legendary hardcore punk band Bad Brains. Yet still, the heavy dub of “Shove It” hints more at the punk-infused dub of The Clash. It is this mixture of sounds and textures that make this a true representation of Santi White the artist.

The album carries credits from more than five producers in addition to White herself. While this might suggest a jumble of disparate sounds and textures, it is White’s creative vocal inflections and acrobatics that make the album an exciting, engaging and somewhat thematic listen. Her vocals range from inviting and soothing to percussive and revolutionary. In one fell swoop, Santogold channels the musicality and angst of The Clash, a moody type of neo-haunt similar to Nico and the new wave strut of Blondie.
The blissful vocal harmonies of “Lights Out” and White’s laid back ease and vulnerability on “I’m A Lady” contrast sharply with any of her contemporaries’ vocal stylings or abilities. Whereas other artists of this current hipster-pop genre appropriate and employ World music grooves and Baltimore Club sensibilities, White nestles cozily and comfortably in the vortex where reggae, dub, ska and punk rock meet. To her credit, White has shrouded this specific pool of music with her own original songwriting and unpredictable yet engaging vocals so much so that she is crafting a new version of truly digestible and universal popular music. So universal is it that two cuts off this album are the soundtrack to the new Bud Light Lime campaign.

Helplessly infectious and unsurprisingly bold, Santogold is an authoritative effort. This album is not a debut. It is the coming out party of a young talent who has been cutting her teeth and developing her chops with some of the industry’s stalwarts for just under a decade.