Australian singer/songwriter Dean Lewis shines on his highly-anticipated debut album, ‘A Place We Knew,’ which is dominated by love and heartbreak.

“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.  Unlike many musicians releasing their debut album, the Australian musician isn’t in his teens or his twenties – he’s 31.  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.  You might say additional life experience bodes well in his favor.

“Hold of Me”

Dean Lewis sings abruptly on opener ✓ “Hold of Me,” instantly setting the tone. His vocals are energetic, expressive, and incredibly heartfelt – you can hear the yearning in his instrument.  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.  Of course, respectable songwriting doesn’t hurt either. 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.  The rhythm of the acoustic guitar remains heavy-handed, and we wouldn’t trade that for the word.

“A Place We Knew” continues to highlight the acoustic guitar, but with more repeated lines – ostinatos for your music theorists.  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.  Once more, Lewis thoughtfully reminisces on love:

“Dancing in hotel rooms, it was just me and you
We wouldn’t sleep all night, with you sitting by my side
And every moment we had stolen was a feeling
‘Cause it never matter where we were
‘Cause we were falling in love.”

“Stay Awake”

“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. 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.  “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). He continues to check off all boxes – thoughtful songwriting, marvelous, authentic vocals, and another winning song, period.  Essentially, Lewis reflects on a most relatable topic, applied generally or more specifically – the ups and down of this thing called life.

“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.

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.”

“Chemicals”

“Chemicals” commences the second half of A Place We Knew – a tall task considering the consistency and overall excellence of the first half.  Dean Lewis loses little if any steam, with his best attributes being voice and songwriting. “Chemicals” maintains a respectable balance, continuing the ‘rhythmic machine’ of the majority of songs, yet also maintaining a sense of cool.  “Chemicals” doesn’t trump the crème le crème, nor dare approach to ‘crowning achievement’ status held by “Be Alright,” but it’s still strong.

✓ “Straight Back Down” packs a bit more punch from the jump, likely thanks to that aforementioned ‘rhythmic machine’ asserting itself.  It also helps that Lewis ascends into his cutting upper register, beaming with an enthusiasm that comes through the audio recording sans the visual. If “Chemicals” fell a bit short of the glory, the crowd-pleasing, sing-along “Straight Back Down” easily atones. “Time to Go” slackens the pace a might, also providing contrasting meter and groove. Even so, Lewis loses no sense of assertiveness or aggression.  Once more, on this guitar and piano-filled number, he drops a bomb:

“Did you mean what you had said?
‘Cause it’s fucking with my head
I’d give it all to get you bac
But now I know, I know you don’t mean that.”

Authenticity and relatable subject matter continue to bode well in the singer/songwriter’s favor.

“Don’t Hold Me”

“Don’t Hold Me” initiates the fourth quarter of A Place We Knew.  This is pure singer/songwriter at its truest. Once again, clipboard has a check list successfully checked off:  deep feelings, sensitive male lead, familiar script… At this point, Lewis doesn’t bring anything new to the table, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  The same might be said regarding the penultimate joint “For the Last Time,” which has that ‘been there, done that’ sort of vibe. Still, it’s another radiant, well-rounded performance from Lewis, who continues to cope with the effects of heartbreak. On “Half a Man,” Lewis sings prudently about working towards loving himself before he can love somebody else.

“But how am I supposed to love you when I don’t love who I am?
And how can I give you all of me when I’m only half a man?
‘Cause I’m a sinking ship that’s burning, so let go of my hand
Oh, how can I give you all of me when I’m only half a man?”

Final Thoughts

All in all, Dean Lewis delivers an enjoyable, relatable, and well-rounded debut album with A Place We Knew.  Throughout the course of the album, Lewis sings with incredible authenticity and expression – you can easily perceive his belief and investment into what he’s singing.  Musically, the productions are well-suited to his style and musical lane, heavy on rhythmic guitars, four-on-the-floor beats, and incorporating folk-rock into the equation.  There are few cons, none of which are glaring.  The biggest rub, which is arguably nitpicking, is that the love-centricity grows slightly boring and overindulgent at times, particularly by the fourth quarter of the LP.  Still, Lewis delivers more often than not on album number one.  

✓ Gems: “Hold of Me,” “7 Minutes,” “Waves,” “Be Alright,” “Straight Back Down”

Dean Lewis • A Place We Knew • Universal Music Australia • Release: 3.22.19

Photo Credit: Universal Music Australia