![]() Even so, Lewis loses no sense of assertiveness or aggression. “Time to Go” slackens the pace a might, also providing contrasting meter and groove. ![]() If “Chemicals” fell a bit short of the glory, the crowd-pleasing, sing-along “Straight Back Down” easily atones. It also helps that Lewis ascends into his cutting upper register, beaming with an enthusiasm that comes through the audio recording sans the visual. ✓ “Straight Back Down” packs a bit more punch from the jump, likely thanks to that aforementioned ‘rhythmic machine’ asserting itself. “Chemicals” doesn’t trump the crème le crème, nor dare approach to ‘crowning achievement’ status held by “Be Alright,” but it’s still strong. “Chemicals” maintains a respectable balance, continuing the ‘rhythmic machine’ of the majority of songs, yet also maintaining a sense of cool. Dean Lewis loses little if any steam, with his best attributes being voice and songwriting. “Chemicals” commences the second half of A Place We Knew – a tall task considering the consistency and overall excellence of the first half. He describes the intensity of the pain best in the second verse, dropping the f-bomb and asserting, “So, I still look back at all the messages you’d sent / And I know it wasn’t right, but it was fucking with my head.” Ultimately, Lewis comes to the realization that eventually, “It’ll be alright.” After all, “Nothing heals the past like time / And they can’t steal / The love you were born to find.” “And my friend said / ‘I know you love her, but it’s over, mate / It doesn’t matter, put the phone away / It’s never easy to walk away, let her go / It’ll be alright.’” Ah, the crème de la crème of A Place We Knew follows with breakout hit, ✓ “Be Alright.” Here, Lewis is deep ‘in his feelings’ as he struggles to cope with the fact that the relationship is a wrap. Essentially, Lewis reflects on a most relatable topic, applied generally or more specifically – the ups and down of this thing called life. ![]() He continues to check off all boxes – thoughtful songwriting, marvelous, authentic vocals, and another winning song, period. “If the feeling’s gone,” he sings on the chorus, “Stay awake, stay awake, stay awake / Just keep holding on.” Standout ✓ “Waves,” the fifth track from A Place We Knew is the lengthiest, clocking in at four minutes (not a bad duration by any means). More importantly, Dean Lewis continues to pour out his heart, singing lyrics expressing his desire that she stay and they work their respective issues out. “Said you’re leaving / When the morning comes / All packed up.” The thudding kick of “Stay Awake” instantly gets the head nodding and the foot tapping. We wouldn’t sleep all night, with you sitting by my sideĪnd every moment we had stolen was a feeling Once more, Lewis thoughtfully reminisces on love: “Dancing in hotel rooms, it was just me and you Compared to the “Hold of Me” or “7 Minutes,” “A Place We Knew” features more space within the production, yet still maintains the rhythmic identity set early on. ![]() “A Place We Knew” continues to highlight the acoustic guitar, but with more repeated lines – ostinatos for your music theorists. The rhythm of the acoustic guitar remains heavy-handed, and we wouldn’t trade that for the word. Follow-up ✓ “7 Minutes” finds Lewis reflecting on the pain of heartbreak – ah, the classic ‘plight of love.’ Lewis struggles to get her out of his mind, asserting he’s the one to blame for the end of the relationship – “I forgot to love you, love you.” Like the opener, “7 Minutes” is well-penned, well-performed, and well-rounded. Of course, respectable songwriting doesn’t hurt either. Adding to the greatness of the album’s initial statement is bright production, including thudding drums, rhythmic acoustic guitars, and articulated brass on the chorus. His vocals are energetic, expressive, and incredibly heartfelt – you can hear the yearning in his instrument. You might say additional life experience bodes well in his favor.ĭean Lewis sings abruptly on opener ✓ “Hold of Me,” instantly setting the tone. Although 31 is generally a later start than most musicians, Lewis proves he’s ‘the real deal’ throughout A Place We Knew, an album that’s dominated by the relatable topics of love and heartbreak. ![]() Unlike many musicians releasing their debut album, the Australian musician isn’t in his teens or his twenties – he’s 31. “It’s in all the little things, when you smile, now it stings / It’s been seven minutes since I’ve lost the girl of my dreams.” Yeah, in case you were wondering, there’s quite a bit of that on A Place We Knew, the debut album from singer/songwriter Dean Lewis. Australian singer/songwriter Dean Lewis shines on his highly-anticipated debut album, ‘ A Place We Knew,’ which is dominated by love and heartbreak. ![]()
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