Album Review: Dean Lewis - A Place We Knew

An exhilarating horns section builds up to a triumphant chorus in Sydney singer-songwriter Dean Lewis’ Hold Of Me, the opening track of his emotive, explosive and raw debut album, A Place We Knew.

The first half of the album is vibrant and exhilarating, as Lewis’ vocals soar above thumping bass lines and heavily strummed guitars while maintaining its gentle and comforting tones. The repeating of words and phrases become instantly catchy hooks in 7 Minutes (“I forgot to love you/Love you/Love you”) and Stay Awake (“Stay awake/Stay awake/Stay awake with me”) and the soft guitar licks and booming drums are somewhat reminiscent of an early Vance Joy, yet with Lewis’ infectious and authentic songwriting and musicality. 

As we draw a breath, the album pauses to note some past singles, as old favourite Waves brings back a warm nostalgia. Despite being over two years old, it fits well as a darker break from the otherwise striking vibrancy. The use of “mate” during Be Alright allows Lewis’ down-to-earth Aussie character to shine through, as Chemicals’ stripped back production brings us to the softer half of the album. 

If emotion was concealed within a wound, the stitches are falling out when Lewis lays his heart bare for the highly dynamic Straight Back Down. As the album concludes like a polar opposite of its beginning, the harrowingly emotional vocals on Half A Man are accompanied alone by a piano. Lewis’ voice seems close to breaking as the painfully relatable lyrics (“How am I supposed to love you/When I don’t love who I am”) split the heart of anyone who's experienced self-doubt in two. As the album concludes softly, like an exhaled breath, it leaves us exhausted from the thrashing our emotions have just endured.