Album Review: Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving
3 min read
Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving feels like a natural evolution from Messy – still rooted in her warm, soulful charm, but more assured, more expansive, and deeply introspective. She wastes no time setting the mood with the short but tender intro, The Art of Loving before sliding into the fun-loving hit single, Nice To Each Other, a track reminiscent to me of Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams. Nice To Each Other is a gentle groove threaded with brass and playful percussion, it captures the push and pull of early dating and how kindness is the quiet cornerstone of connection.
Lady Lady follows, a tender song that leans into themes of self-worth, self-growth and femininity. It features layered vocals that heighten the feeling of internal conversation. Close Up then slows the pace, it’s almost cinematic in its simplicity. Its stripped back production and hushed harmonies echo classic jazz soul – flirtatious around the edges and a hint of moodiness sprinkled in the verses before opening into warmer choruses. The instrumentation of So Easy (To Fall In Love) takes us into more of a pop soul soundscape – a hopeful and retro romantic-esque kind of vibe like it’s a sunny afternoon and you’ve just earned a wink from the one you love.
On the flip side, Let Alone The One You Love cuts a lot deeper with the idea that sometimes loving someone means stepping back. It’s contemplative with harmonies that mirror the emotional hesitation. Man I Need is a standout pivot point on the album. Here, Olivia is direct and confident – asking for her emotional needs to be met. It’s got a slick groove and a modern edge, balancing desire with assertiveness. Something Inbetween plays like a late night confession – suspended in that emotional limbo between freedom and attachment. Loud then wrestles with the desire to make one’s feelings heard and acknowledged with sections of instrumentation that sound awfully familiar which I can’t seem to put my finger on.
The Art of Loving has a quieter final stretch. Baby Steps finds Olivia grounding herself in a song about self love as she turns inward and gives herself the care she wants from others. A Couple Minutes feels like a pause in time, it’s blend of soft chords and smooth vocals make you feel as though you’re catching a breath with her – reflecting on what it means to let life unfold, slowly and gently. My personal favourite, I’ve Seen It, completes the album as a grateful and deeply reflective ballad that is full of quiet strength. With it, she gathers the threads she’s laid out – the failures, the hopes, the lessons and affirms that love is all around. I also find the string element on this track to be reminiscent of Eels’ My Beloved Monster.
Overall, The Art of Loving is an album that balances mainstream appeal with emotional nuance and, through it, Olivia is deepening her understanding of herself and the emotional landscape she wants to explore. Let her and The Art of Loving teach you something about how to give, ask and receive love.
