The Art of Loving by Olivia dean
“THE SILENCE IS SO LOUD,” Olivia and I belted down the interstate as my “90 in a 50 song” blasted through my car speakers. The symphony of strings filled my ears and gave me chills as I wildly sang along with Olivia, letting my emotions get the best of me. And probably hurting my vocal cords in the process.
Dean’s album shows her listeners the various forms of love she has experienced. A love that hurts, a love that lasts, a love that is shaped by friendship. She opens the album with the short and sweet title track. The strings, piano, and bird chirping in the background make you feel like you’re in the garden of love. The ethereal mood takes a turn with the album’s second song, “Nice to Each Other,” featuring upbeat percussion with layers of electric, acoustic, and bass guitar. In it, Olivia implores, “Can we say we’ll never say the classic stuff / to show it?” She urges her lover to be honest and skip beating around the bush. It’s as if she’s saying, “We’re both into each other, so let’s cut to the chase and fall in love.”
The mood shifts back-and-forth several times throughout the album with moodier features, like “Lady Lady” and “Close Up,” hinting at Dean’s R+B roots. Think Amy Winehouse and Lauryn Hill’s lovechild, who can attract old soul-loving listeners and die-hard teen pop girls with one album. “So Easy (To Fall in Love)” and “Man I Need” are two “poppier” songs that also claim top spots for overall popularity. They express her readiness to fall in love with someone who will give her what she needs, even telling them with a wink, “Anyone with a heart would agree / It’s so easy to fall in love with me.” Between the bright chords of the guitar and the hopeful blares of the trumpet, you can sense Dean’s openness for a relationship built on honesty.
“Let Alone The One You Love” and “A Couple Minutes” bring the mood back down as Dean processes past love and the feelings that still linger after the breakup. The former reminds us that falling in love runs the risk of being hurt: “And if you knew me at all / you wouldn’t try to keep me small / who would do that to a friend / let alone the one you love.” While the latter takes us to a brief interaction between Dean and her lost love, “Back on your sofa / Of course, I still care.” Although they’re conflicting feelings, the slow beat, soft vocals, and strings bring the hurt you feel towards an ex, and the urge to reach out again, hand in hand.
The Art of Loving came out at a perfect time in my life, just as I was in the midst of a breakup. But this album isn’t just relatable if you’re going through a breakup. Whether it be from a parent, a friend, or a significant other, it’s relatable to anyone who has felt loved. “The more you look, the more you find,” Dean says on the final track, “it’s all around you all the time.” It’s a helpful reminder, if you’re willing to welcome it.
