Olivia Dean: The Art of Loving
Fuck! Olivia Dean sounds like Amy Winehouse, especially after a few shots of Lagavulin (16). The smokiness in her timbre; the soulfulness in her delivery; particularly her outpouring emotion in “Let Alone the One You Love,” from her latest release, The Art of Loving. She begins the soul-jazz ballad with her own realization, “Thought I was done with this feeling / I really thought you could be him / Thought I was safe.” Then she reveals her disappointment, “You were the warmth that I needed / Like a breeze in the evening / And then you changed / You’re all the same.”
From the neo-soul production to her storytelling, Dean’s definitely channeling Winehouse in “Close Up.” In the second verse, she flows, “Now I’m more than a voice on the phonе / Now I’m here and we’re finally alone.” Then she pauses on the word “Why” in the next bar, “Why… do we feel so distant? / You’re… treating me like I’m one of the rest / I feel stupid for wearing that dress.” Her delivery sounds more dynamic between those pauses.
“So Easy (to Fall in Love)” is a romantic track with a bossa nova flavor. The lyrics are quite lovely: “There’s no need to hide if you’re into me / ’Cause I’m into you quite intimately” I like the way she phrases “intimately.” She continues, “And maybe one night could turn into three / Well, I’m down to see.”
The album has a few upbeat grooves including “Nice to Each Other,” “Man I Need,” and “Something Inbetween,” but the essence of The Art of Loving are the slow, heartrending tracks. The album closer, “I’ve Seen It All,” is just her voice accompanied by an acoustic strumming guitar. She leaves listeners with something to remember: “The more you look, the more you find / It’s all around you all the time / Catches your eye, you blink and then it’s gone.” She closes out with “Brings out the worst, brings out the best / I know it’s somewhere in my chest / I guess it’s been inside me all along.”
I don’t smoke, but I enjoy the smoke in Dean’s voice as well as the smoke in Lagavulin (16). Music and whisky have been my mechanisms for dealing with stress. I just need a moment to escape all the dramas in my life. As the album plays, I pour out some liquor and reminisce: Rest in peace Amy Winehouse.