SG Lewis, “AudioLust & HigherLove.”

SG Lewis knows the value of a dynamics in music. Having worked with the likes of Elton John, Dua Lipa and Tove Lo as a producer and cowriter, the British artist is familiar with how to craft a song from many different sources of inspiration. On his latest album, AudioLust & HigherLove, he creates an offering full of dualism that celebrates both halves of his creative persona.

One half is rife with infectious club beats and disco vibes, the other is populated by more melodic pieces. Thematically, the album is split in half as well, with the first focusing more on love and relationships in the lustful sense while the second half views love through a fulfilled lens. In all, the album is a 15-song amalgamation of SG Lewis’ exploration into his DJ/songwriting split era that, for the most part, works in his favor.

The first half of this album seems to have been designed almost exclusively by the DJ-portion of SG Lewis’ persona. Song after song is filled with synth-heavy beats and layers of pop instrumentation that make for a danceable series of tracks. Lewis enlists the help of Tove Lo for “Call On Me,” where her silky vocals feature prominently on a track driven by bass, percussion and a catchy chorus. It’s all about the immediate gratification of physical love but also the immediate emptiness once it’s gone.

“Missing You” is another tune that plays with EDM tropes, such as a quirky ’80s vibe and beat drops, no doubt created with a dance floor and flashing lights in mind. SG Lewis the producer shines on the first seven tracks of the album. A full-on jump to singer-songwriter mode here would have been jarring. This adherence to his roots is a great way to appease fans while also bringing the new listener in closer. “Oh Laura,” is a slight deviation from the rest of the first half, as it’s ethereal, echo-laden vocals and synths give it a feeling reminiscent of The 1975.

With the remaining eight songs, SG Lewis more openly expresses his pop songwriting skills to craft what feels like a sincere foray into vulnerability. “Lifetime” is a simple love letter about wanting someone for a lifetime because the infatuation is all-encompassing. The beat is simple and bright, layered with vocals and more reliant on live instrumentation than electronica. A stringed instrument or two even make their way into the bridge, which adds a layer of whimsy. 

Ty Dolla $ign and Lucky Daye make an appearance on “Vibe Like This,” a track all about the novelty and vulnerability of love, the lyrics expressing the wish that love could have been found sooner so as to feel it longer. It’s laden with piano and a Khalid-eqsue (another artist with whom SG Lewis has worked) beat and instrumentation. Over five and a half minutes, “Something About Your Love” depicts the ecstatic nature of love that feels right with a beat that’s slightly faster and more anthemic. The song is a bit of a halfway point between the sounds of the first and second halves of the album.

Having worked with so many different artists make it hard for SG Lewis to identify his own voice. Trying to straddle the line between DJ and songwriter creates a sometimes uneasy tension. While he has a firm grasp on both music and pop, he sometimes loses his sound’s individuality. Many of these songs sound like something that he would have made for someone else. It will be interesting to see how Lewis handles this going forward. He’ll need to reclaim those sounds and styles that he made work for others in a way that feels expressive of himself.

For a second album that’s trying to do multiple things at once, SG Lewis turns in a clever, enjoyable piece of work. Nods to his DJ roots and further exploration as a singer-songwriter make for a more dynamic album than expected. It’s not an end to one phase and the beginning of another, but more of a statement of duality and possibility.

Follow writer Piper Westrom at Twitter.com/plwestrom.