Dean Lewis Releases Reflective Sophomore Album “The Hardest Love”

Featured Image Credit: Kent Tarver

Multi-platinum musician Dean Lewis got his big break here in America in the mid-to late 2010s with the releases of two of his biggest hits, “Waves” and “Be Alright,” as well as his subsequent debut album, “A Place We Knew,” which was released in 2019.

With the start of a new decade also came the beginning of a new era for the Australian singer-songwriter, who had gradually been releasing singles over the past few years before the release. Those singles foreshadowed what was to come in late 2022 – the long-awaited release of his sophomore LP, “The Hardest Love.”

Through one of the aforementioned singles, “How Do I Say Goodbye,” he processes the emotions he felt upon receiving the news of his dad’s cancer diagnosis. The candid lyrics have resonated with fans from all over the world who have gone through similar experiences or lost a loved one. Not only did the track quickly gain virality on TikTok, but it has since gone platinum in Australia and obtained gold and silver certifications in other countries.

Lyrically, “The Hardest Love” follows similar themes as Lewis’ debut, telling tales of the ups and downs of falling in love with another person. Half of the tracks on this album are centered around one particular woman that he thought he would be in a relationship with one day. “All For You” and “To Have You Today” show him declaring his feelings for this woman and explaining how much she means to him. The uptempo single “Looks Like Me” details thoughts of self-doubt and not feeling good enough, wondering if her romantic feelings were ever reciprocal. “Scares Me” shows him opening up about even more fears, feeling scared that the aforementioned reciprocity is nonexistent. ”Something To Help” seems like it could be about a similar situation, as it depicts him coming to the realization that a woman he was in love with had feelings for someone else instead.

However, there are a few other stories told on this record. Opening track “Small Disasters” replays a memory of being cheated on in a past relationship and mourning what was lost (“Cause we are drowning above the water, in a movie drained of colour / Luckless lovers with a past that’s just a string of small disasters”). The album’s title track “The Hardest Love” is a dedication to a couple of people in his life who had passed away prior to the album’s release, and “Into The Breeze” is a reflection on the last few years of his career and life overall.

At a press conference, Lewis cited bands such as The Fray and The Goo Goo Dolls as primary musical influences of his (with added emphasis on how much of an influence the former of those two bands has been for him). Those bands seem to be well-known for their poignant, iconic ballads such as “How To Save A Life,” “You Found Me,” and “Iris,” and the influences from those bands are evident throughout Lewis’ discography. This album is no exception to that sentiment with songs like “How Do I Say Goodbye,” “Hurtless,” “The Hardest Love” and “Something To Help” having similarly powerful choruses.

“The Hardest Love” contains the outspoken lyricism and exceptional musical talent that made many fans fall in love with Dean Lewis’ music in the first place, and it’s a terrific sophomore record from him.

Recommended Tracks: How Do I Say Goodbye, The Hardest Love, Small Disasters

“The Hardest Love” is available now. Listen to the album here:

Inside James Bay’s New Album, “Leap”

Music is often a form of catharsis. 

Many music fans get that from the music that they listen to, finding solace in the fact that the artist writing the lyrics has dealt with feelings or experiences much like their own. From the artists’ perspectives, writing that music can also be similarly cathartic and therapeutic, providing them a creative outlet to process what’s going on in their life.

That was the case for James Bay while writing his newly-released third album, “Leap.” 

“I was struggling through 2019 with mental health issues – anxiety, and something on the borders of depression, and frustration and sadness that I couldn’t shake. I was using writing as a therapy and I always kind of do, but everything was quite heavy,” he explained. 

Many of the lyrics Bay wrote for this album stemmed from those experiences with mental health over the course of the last few years, and show him being more vulnerable than ever before. His loved ones gave him additional courage to take that “leap” of being more vulnerable and pushing boundaries during the creative process, and he expresses gratitude for those people in his life on songs like the love song “One Life,” as well as “Everybody Needs Someone” and “Better,” two tracks that express the importance of turning to those you love and trust when you need them most.

The album’s title draws inspiration from a John Burroughs quote – “leap and the net will appear” – and after he stumbled upon that quote, it impacted the songwriting, inspired the theme of the album as a whole, and marked a pivotal turning point in the process of creating it.

“I was reading a book that had the quote in it. In the way that… the first time you hear a song that becomes your favorite song, or the first time you witness your favorite movie – the line, the quote, the words ‘leap and the net will appear’ sort of hit me like that,” Bay says, describing the impact the quote had on him, “It sort of fired like a jolt of lightning through me and sat me up. I’ve been hunched or lost or losing myself and it suddenly sort of refined my senses and sharpened my focus.”

He then brought up a scene in the movie ET, where Elliot realizes something has happened to ET that grabs his attention and encourages him. “I had a little bit of a moment like that where I kind of said to myself ‘you know what, actually? let’s go, let’s do this, let’s write these songs.’” adds James, referring to the ET scene he had just mentioned.

He did just that, spending the pandemic working hard at writing and recording these new tracks. The album was finally released back in early July, peaking at #4 on the UK albums chart the week it came out.

“You have to reach fucking high. You have to leap and not worry if there’s a net that’s going to catch you. It’s just about the reach, it’s about the leap, it’s about the going for it,” Bay states about a message that the album sends to its listeners, “I was reminded of that when I read the quote and I read those words, and so it affected the entire album. It affected all the writing, it turned it into what it is, and of course inspired me to call the album Leap.” 

Bay tries to call the songs on this album “anthems of hope,” and that feels like a great descriptor. “Leap” brings important reminders for when times get tough – lean on the ones you love, keep persevering through those moments, and know that no matter how things may seem, hope is on the horizon.

Remarkable Recent Releases #2

There is so much great new music coming out on a daily basis, and today, we’re back with the second installment of Remarkable Recent Releases, which aims to highlight some of these.

Adptd “Scared”

Back in December, Adptd released her sophomore single, “Scared.” The honest lyrics convey her experiences as a woman of color, the vocal performance brings a lot of emotion, and overall, it’s a very powerful rock/post-hardcore track.

Animal Sun “SAFE NOT SOUND”

After releasing their debut album “echoes of a dream,” Animal Sun wrapped up 2021 with a brand new single, “SAFE NOT SOUND.” The instrumentals (most notably the guitars) are irresistibly catchy, the vocal performance intrigued me all throughout, creating a captivating pop-rock and alternative track.

Bradley Kim “Happy Alone”

Following many releases throughout last year. Bradley Kim concluded the year with “Happy Alone.” The song is led by simple, upbeat instrumentation, which contrasts a bit from the moodier melodies (which make the track quite memorable), and the heartfelt lyrics discuss how it feels when one is longing to be in a relationship while also trying to find contentment with remaining single for a while.

Famous Last Words “The Negative” (EP)

Famous Last Words have made a strong comeback with their brand new EP, “The Negative.” Opening track “In The Blink Of An Eye” starts the release off on a brutally heavy note before transitioning into its catchy, charismatic chorus, while energetic second track “The Negative” mostly hones in on the more melodic elements and brings a huge chorus and closer “Last Words” delivers a spoken word speech in a haunting manner that fits perfectly with the release’s overall sound.

Kylie Muse & Jack Conway, “Lonely”

Kylie Muse and Jack Conway ended last year with a collaborative single, “Lonely.” The track opens up with piano and vocals and is driven by more laid-back instrumentation. The songwriting is strong, with a perfectly-flowing structure and catchy melodies, the vulnerable lyrics describe dealing with insecurities and fears whilst in a happy, healthy relationship, and while the individual performances from both Kylie and Jack are great, their voices work really well together and create beautiful harmonies, especially during the chorus.

Luke Seymoup “Maple Road”

Melbourne-based indie-punk musician Luke Seymoup has put out a handful of singles over the last several months, and December brought the release of “Maple Road.” The instrumentals add lots of energy from start to finish, and the influences of indie and punk are shown very early on. From those instrumentals to the catchy melodies, the song is a carefree and enjoyable track.

New Saviors “Faking Fine”

New Saviors have released quite a lot of singles during 2020 and 2021, and the latest of those is their final one of last year, “Faking Fine.” The song opens with an anthemic intro, mixing synths with the heavier instrumentals, and all throughout, the song showcases the various styles of rock and metal within the band’s sound, from the hints of nu-metal in the pre-chorus to the hard rock influences in the verses and the soaring melodies in the chorus.

The Second After “Changes”

After the release of their 2020 EP “We Are Who We Are,” The Second After returned with a brilliant new single titled “Changes.” The energetic intro contrasts from some slower verses, where the drums really carry the rhythm. The unforgettable pre-chorus precedes a huge chorus that’s just as memorable, and overall, the song is filled with some fantastic hooks both vocally and instrumentally.

Remarkable Recent Releases #1

There is so much great new music coming out on a daily basis, and today, Dissonants brings you the start of a brand new column called Remarkable Recent Releases, which aims to highlight some of these tracks, EPs, and albums.

Adjust The Sails “Working Man”

Adjust The Sails has been consistently releasing music throughout the course of the year, and the newest piece is a track titled “Working Man.” The lyrics tackle multiple themes, from self-improvement and not “giving in to vices” to the desire of quitting the 9-5 life to pursue other career paths to getting older and watching your friends and peers reach major life milestones. The reflective songwriting is combined with extremely catchy melodies and instrumentation to make another very memorable track.

House Parties “Tiny Rooms” (EP)

House Parties stepped foot into the scene at the beginning of this year, gradually leading up to the release of their debut EP, “Tiny Rooms.” The Texan pop-punk and easycore group bring together drop-tuned riffs and breakdowns (“Makes Sense”), infectious melodies (‘Broke,`” Tiny Rooms”), and attention-grabbing performances (“Collateral”) to create a very strong debut.

Jack Conway “Bullshit”

Continuing a string of releases, Jack Conway has released “Bullshit.” The stripped-down demo allows for the emotion to shine through (especially within the vocal performance during the chorus). Sophisticated piano and guitar leads join a dreamy vocal performance and heartfelt lyrics (“I tell myself lies so I don’t feel any pain”) to make a simple, yet powerful track.

Jordan Coffey “Mean Girls”

Hailing from Maine is metal musician Jordan Coffey, who recently dropped her latest single, “Mean Girls.” With lyrics like “so keep walking away with your head down, just in case you forgot which one of us wears the crown,” the track serves as a middle finger to bullies, haters, and anyone else who’s ever tried to tear you down. The verses are much more aggressive, while the massive chorus is much more melodic, and the performances throughout the song make it even more empowering.

K4YLEE “FADED MEMORY”

K4YLEE impressed me with her new single, “FADED MEMORY.” The softer and more minimalistic verses prepare for the anthemic choruses that follow, with an emotion-filled vocal performance sung over the line “what happened to the way we used to be?.” Elements of pop and rock are seamlessly tied together to create a phenomenal single overall.

One Flew West “Holes In My Jeans”

Beloved Colorado locals One Flew West are back with another new track, “Holes In My Jeans.” The song is the second single from their forthcoming debut album, “The Blur,” which will be released on March 25th, 2022 (pre-order here). Alongside their previous single “The Blur,” this track also contains the irresistibly catchy hooks that the band is known for, and sets a strong precedent for the rest of the record.

Promise Game “Sleeping Weather”

New Hampshire-based band Promise Game has been consistently evolving their sound with each release they’ve put out this year, and their new single “Sleeping Weather” is no different in that regard. The darker composition in the verses and choruses focus on elements of emo, alternative rock, and post-hardcore, while the extremely energetic instrumentals and captivating vocals in the bridge throw bits and pieces of pop-punk into the mix, and listeners can also expect to hear unforgettable synth leads throughout the entire track.

Stand Atlantic “molotov [OK]”

Following the release of “deathwish” earlier on in 2021, Australian pop-punk legends Stand Atlantic are continuing to get a little bit experimental with their sound through their latest single, “molotov [OK].” The raw and slightly more aggressive vocal tone and accelerated instrumentation showcase a heavier side to the band’s sound, and the main hook will have listeners shouting along.

EP Review: “Richmond” by Shortly

Shortly has released her debut EP, titled “Richmond.”

“Finders Keepers” opens the EP up, and right off the bat, shows how talented Alex is as a vocalist. The vocals grab your attention right off the bat, bringing some really good melodies and showing quite a bit of raw emotion. Lead single “Spare Time” is softer than the previous track, driven by an acoustic guitar, along with some subtle piano that’s added in the background. This song in particular has one of my favorite lyrics on the EP: “Maybe I should grow up, maybe I should be fine, or maybe I am make believe.”

“Anyone Else” is a track with so much to offer. The vocals show even more on here, and the harmonies and backing vocals add extra emphasis to that performance. As far as instrumentation goes, ambient guitars drive the rhythm, as well as huge drum and bass parts when the bridge comes in.

“Two” is a track where the instrumentation stuck out to me a lot. It’s pretty simple, primarily led by acoustic guitar with a bit of piano added into the mix, but I think that the more simplistic instrumentation really adds more to the song. “While We Are On The Subject” closes out the EP, and it’s another one where the vocals are a lot more prominent, as the instrumentation is a bit softer.

In Conclusion…

I really enjoyed this EP. I think it shows the talent that Shortly has as an artist. Each individual track brings something great to the table and that helps “Richmond” an interesting listen.

Recommended Track: Anyone Else

Listen to the EP here.