"The Art of Loving" - Olivia Dean

I first got into Olivia Dean over the summer and was excited to see that she was releasing her sophomore album so soon after I joined her fandom. Opening for Sabrina Carpenter for the final leg of her massive Short n’ Sweet Tour and recently nominated for the Grammy Best New Artist award, I was intrigued turning on the album this Saturday (I’m evidently not a committed fan quite yet – the album came out nearly two months ago).

I rate The Art of Loving an 8/10.

The album cover for The Art of Loving

Olivia Dean is all about the vibes, and hers on this record is that of the detached avoidant in a cozy autumn. On this album, “I’ve Seen It” represents that energy best. I love the lyrics of “Lady Lady”. “Nice to Each Other” makes great background music. “A Couple Minutes,” near the end of the album, feels like the start of December. The melody of the line, “Only have a couple minutes” sounds like that of “In the meadow, we can build a snowman” from the Christmas classic “Winter Wonderland.” 

My only issue with this album is that, while it’s very cohesive, it’s a little bit boring. The run of “So Easy (To Fall in Love),” “Let Alone the One You Love,” “Man I Need,” “Something Inbetween” and “Loud” could’ve made a stellar EP. “Let Alone the One You Love” is a beautiful way to slow down the tempo. “Man I Need” is a catchy bop. “Something Inbetween” has a sound that feels like a mix between that of Adele and Gracie Abrams. “Loud” is an incredible ballad that soaks me in so many emotions, which is not something I feel like I come by in most ballads. These tracks give the album life.

Listening to “The Art of Loving”, Dean reminds me of Clairo and Laufey. Her voice is blunter than Clairo’s and more eccentric than Laufey’s. These three artists represent slightly different versions of similar styles with jazz influences but come from different backgrounds and have different energies. Clairo is more heavily associated with the LGBTQ+ community and, as of recently, “performative males.” Her albums have gotten progressively jazzier since her debut album in 2019. Laufey is dreamier and more mystical; more likely to be appreciated by those who love musical theater. Dean has a more commercial upbeat style of jazzy pop than Clairo or Laufey. Hence, while I associate these three artists with each other, I think they each stand out enough that there’s room for all of them to be successful. Interestingly, the shift in sound from Dean’s debut album, Messy, to The Art of Loving reminded me of Clairo’s shift from Immunity (2019) to Charm (2024), even though there was another record, Sling (2021), in between these albums.

My question closing out this album is if Dean would ever collaborate with either of these artists. I think it would be super interesting, but would that blur the line between them even more? Now I’m looking at her tour dates and wondering why she’s coming to neither Nashville nor my hometown. I look forward to watching Dean’s career advance!