Olivia Dean's Retro-Inspired Second Album Blends Classic Pop and Modern Flair

Olivia Dean, a rising British neo-soul star, has released her second album "The Art of Loving." The album, arriving at the peak of Olivia's fame to date, is a genuinely lovely collection of would-be classic pop songs, all variations on the titular theme of love.

Prior to recording the album, Olivia had immersed herself in bell hooks' influential work "All About Love." She was also inspired by an exhibition of the same name by artist Mickalene Thomas, which was a response to hooks' theory. While Thomas' paintings are elaborate and rhinestone-encrusted, Olivia's album is filled with little marvels of economy, borrowing a spare set of bongos, a buttery Brill Building Rhodes organ, and well-placed bah-bah-bahs courtesy of Motown girl-groups.

Olivia's unfussy charisma and warmly assured voice carry the album, which moves with the timeless grace of some bygone, indeterminate era in music and celebrity. The fastidious arrangements ensure that even the smallest details, like a five-note piano motif or the passage of double-time horns, become focal points, creating a truly engaging listening experience.