I’ve had the pleasure of following Offbeat Smitty’s career for a little while now. During the time in which we have spent working together, I have seen him evolve as an artist. This has not been a subtle evolution either. In reality, it has been an expeditious journey of which I’m elated to have been a part of.
I want to introduce you now to Offbeat Smitty’s latest triumph ‘Ready to Love,’ A track composed by himself and DRAN&THELAND, produced by Smitty’s loyal partner TurboVCR.
As a generation, we have reached an interesting time period within the music industry. We yearn for a taste of the 80s scene and despite being the ‘sober generation,’ there’s something about the neon-laced, eyeshadow-heavy era that we can’t get enough of. Perhaps Stranger Things and other popular media have aided the domination of the rose-tinted goggles view – the craving for a slice of a pie we’ve never even tasted.
Luckily for us, music can work as a time-travelling telescope (or gramophone?) helping us capture some of the charms of the bygone eras by our own contemporaries. We’ve seen many artists play off of this reminiscence to create new records that add to the retro hype. You only have to look at Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia, Miley Cyrus’ Plastic Hearts, or even Greta Van Fleet’s entire discography.
Offbeat Smitty and DRAN&THELAND’s ‘Ready to Love’ is a welcomed nostalgia trip.
The track captures details found in tracks from the 80s, presented in a modern casing. If you’re a fan of the stylings of artists such as Silk Sonic or The Weeknd, you’ll find yourself delighting in this track. There’s so much to love packed into this track from dream pop chords, to contemporary hip-hop, to sound effects that sound like they come straight out of vintage sci-fi shows. Let’s dive in!
At its heart, ‘Ready to Love’ is a confession. Smitty and Dran are acknowledging past mistakes and are performing this track in the hopes of moving forward and reopening themselves up to love. Inspired by the guilt of their youthful errors, the track is a metaphor for maturing. Both parties understand their role to play in the breakdown of a relationship and are willing to do what it takes to make amends.
DRAN&THELAND and Offbeat Smitty
‘Ready to Love’ opens on two gentle chords soon followed by a drumbeat and synthesiser which offers the main filling of the melody. The dreamy chords bring the song into the present, channelling musical styles that have become popular over recent years. The juxtaposition of the dream pop-esque sounds with the 80s drum and synth beat offer a decade-bending composition.
The vocals are where Offbeat Smitty’s ‘Ready for Love’ cements itself as a contemporary record. Dran’s style of rapping feels fresh and clean. He performs the verses in which he wishes to ‘press restart’ on a relationship which ended less than favourably.
The rapper delivers his lines with a staccato infliction, reflecting the distance between himself and his lover. This is especially present in the line “‘time and time and time and time again,” featured in both verses that blends satisfyingly with the music.
The chorus, courtesy of Offbeat Smitty, enters in on hypnotic sustained chords – synthesiser sounds that wouldn’t feel out of place in a Stanley Kubrick film (albeit less unsettling, more transcendent).
The drum beat falls away and the vocals are accompanied only by two synthesisers. The simplistic lyrics paired with this instrumental isolation make for a listening experience that’s more about the feeling you get rather than the words you hear.
When the chorus is repeated a second time, a clap effect is used and you can’t stop your head from gently nodding along. It’s reminiscent of Silk Sonic’s Intro.
Where ‘Ready for Love’ really shines is when the music and vocals complement each other. There are moments in both the verses and chorus where you smirk and nod at the satisfying way in which it does this. The scattering of sound effects makes the track extra enjoyable. There are moments when it sounds like a spaceship is igniting its tractor beam in a way in which people 40 years ago would imagine the sound to be. It’s a fun addition to the track.
DRAN&THELAND and Offbeat Smitty
At a run time of 2:46 minutes, the track feels succinct and perfectly paced. Having a song run away with itself can allude to a lack of restraint from the artist but that is not the case with ‘Ready for Love.’ The balance feels fair between the two performers with neither one overstaying their welcome in the spotlight. Thanks to this, you can feel the chemistry between Smitty and Dran, making for a track with a sense of friendship running throughout.
The track was originally written by DRAN&THELAND as a solo venture. However, feeling discontented with the chorus, called upon Offbeat Smitty to add a new texture. And boy did he deliver.
‘Ready for Love’ was produced by TurboVCR, a friend and production partner of both artists, so the match felt natural. The duo performed a teaser of the track at Antikka Cafe & Records in Toronto which went down favourably. It will be featured at Offbeat Smitty Show 2 at Sneaky Dees in Toronto on December 17th so make sure to get yourself down there if you’re in the area.
Check out Offbeat Smitty’s ‘Ready for Love,’ now available to stream on all major streaming platforms!