On his debut album, the Ghanaian singer/rapper shows sonic maturity in his craft, setting himself apart with his style.
Villain Sounds was home and a beacon of hope for “new age” artists/producers at an era. A crop of creatives that in some way, walked the same path despite their sonic differences. In the midst of La Meme Gang, Joey B, Kuvie, and Altar Nova was Odartei, a singer whose ethereal sound has always given a lush vibe. With an Amaarae feature on his 2020 EP, his capabilities as a crooner with a penchant for alternating between singing and rapping have always been soaring, and his debut is an invite to his universe, a rather adventurous trip.
Adventurous because that’s what experimenting with music is all about. Speaking on a Twitter space, he dived into how 80’s music inspired him, alongside Afrobeats and R&B. Dreamo’s intro “Bet On You”, paints the perfect picture, an unpretentious 80’s production ballad that caresses his crooning, familiarizing his ink with this new sheet of production. It doesn’t end there, it transcends unto the next song, a record with a more familiar era. “Not Fazed” is pure late 90’s/00’s era music, a collision of upbeat sounds, faster tempos, drum machine-backed rhythms, and a smooth style of vocal arrangements, it’s so easy for Odartei to float effortlessly here, especially with a catchy chorus. With songs that scream “90’s lover boy”, he modernizes things with elements of Emo Rap and cloud rap, flowing tunefully on “Honest”, a guitar string-led record that shifts his compositional gear, with lyrics that lean heavily on vulnerability and honest takes.
Dreamo has many momentous moments, but across the album’s 38 minutes, is an image that depicts Odartei’s learning skills, his hiatus which allowed him to absorb production skills paid off in the most inventive way, he produced 12 out of 13 songs, creating his debut in his own image. “Lost Memory” reminisces on a forgotten camaraderie with a special one, with a combination of hiplife components and free-floating Alte elements that validates his feelings. It’s a loner anthem with writing skills that walks a narrow path by the maker, transporting his experience to listeners. There’s less room for features, with both slots taken by characters that fit his narrative. Zacca’s verse on “Outta Town” is a stroll into his nebulous thoughts, a path that was half built by Odartei, it’s the best song on the project, led by a guitar melody accompanied by minimal percussions of trap music, they both do what had to be done on the song. On the other hand, “fight Back” features long-term friend/collaborator DTM Nascar, it’s your typical villain sound trap music, with hallucinatory and street-talk lyrics that add to their perplexing nature.
“Dreamo Talk” still sounds like a statement single, released over 8 months ago, introducing us to a new era of his multi-talented journey. There’s heavy Playboi Cart influence on “This Side” and “Hollywood”, a presence that proves he refuses to fall in line. Hollywood sounds like an XXL freshman class entry, with flows and hooks smashing into each other with a reputation for synth drum sounds and hi-hat beats. It’s the perfect trap anthem. As much as his rapping sounds addictive, Odartei’s singing skill can never be matched, “Cut Me” sounds angelic, a proper dream-pop tune that explores his dark yet lovable side, but the production steals the show here. Odartei shows maturity again on “Save Myself”, a guitar solo song that sees Odartei give himself up via his lyrics that serve as a well-honed vessel for his personality, an ambitious effort to tap into a bit of country. He ends the album with another trap song, crisper flows on pristine beats, he was really off “the roof” with this one.
His debut marks a refined version of him, allowing himself to fall into a space that allows him to experiment at his own will.
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