Dean Lewis: "The Hardest Love" Review

Australian pop star, Dean Lewis, released his sophomore album, “The Hardest Love.” After seeing huge success in 2016 and 2018 with smash hits such as “Waves” and “Be Alright”, Lewis hasn’t had as much chart success in the last few years. Frankly, I don’t see “The Hardest Love” helping Lewis reach the heights of success he had with the aforementioned singles. The album was released on Nov. 4, 2022.

Lewis is working under the singer/songwriter genre here while leaning towards a pop sound. That being said, I think that there’s not too much going on from a songwriting perspective. There are some solid hooks on songs like “Hurtless,” “How Do I Say Goodbye” and “Small Disasters.” Simply put, I think the songwriting present here is mediocre. There aren’t any outright bad songs, however, there aren’t really any great songs present either. It’s just kind of a bland listen. Lewis covers the typical themes of being in love, falling in love and breakups without bringing anything new to the table. There’s no specificity, detail and unique perspective present to truly make this record feel special in a genre like singer/songwriter.

I liken this album, and others that are similar, to a trip to McDonald’s. It’s satisfying and will fix your hunger, but it’s not going to change your perspective on a burger and fries (or in this case the singer/songwriter and pop genres.)

“How Do I Say Goodbye” is a very good, albeit odd listen. The lyrics are a touching narrative about losing a parent, asking the hypothetical question, “How do I say goodbye?” The song starts off with a piano and some percussion, and it fits the lyrics perfectly. However, later in the song, it adds more instruments and picks up its tempo. It overall kills the intimate feeling that the lyrics and the piano-led instrumentation created. Overall, it’s a good song that could have been much better with less production. It’s a bit frustrating.

The main problem I have with the record in general is that the production never feels unique. It’s your typical pop-influenced singer/songwriter sound that has been done better a thousand times before. It’s not that it sounds bad; it’s just been done to death. The best way I can describe it is a soundtrack for a teen drama/comedy. This album feels perfect for that. “The Hardest Love” has two song types present: acoustic guitar-heavy sad songs and fully-produced, uninspired ones that simply feel like a wall of sound.

“Looks Like Me” is another forgettable pop track that sounds like it was cut from a 2015 Justin Bieber record. The very spacey percussion coupled with the high-pitched synth additions doesn’t do any favors to the already lackluster lyrics here. This honestly feels like a poor Bieber impersonation, and it’s easily the worst track on the record.

Overall, “The Hardest Love” is a fine, albeit extremely safe listen. There’s nothing truly unique or groundbreaking about any of these songs. If you like mid-tempo pop with an acoustic sound at the forefront, I can definitely see you enjoying this. However, I feel that artists such as Clinton Kane and the extremely underrated, independent artist, Brendan Abernathy, create much more compelling songs in the singer/songwriter and pop genres. I truly find “The Hardest Love” a hard record to love.

5/10