Lewis Muller – Deny (2022)
There are moments in relationships when you feel that the other person is not treating you right, or not feeling what you are. This is something that Lewis Muller has gone through and threaded into his laid-back and atmospheric single ‘Deny’. Drawing on the influence of pop and RnB, he litters the desire for an ex to treat him with the integrity he deserves.
While his musical career has been rooted in electronic pop, he glides smoothly into a fusion sound that reflects his early influences. Since the age of 12, he has been creating music on Garageband, shaping not only his sound, but also honing his skills. This has led to this introspective ballad that offers a touching vulnerability as he touches on the desire to make things work while moving on from a toxic relationship.
‘Deny’ is vulnerable from the first tender note that delicately caresses your senses. There is an early morning stillness to the sound, making you feel like you can’t speak too loudly or you will break it. The fragility of the music allows Muller’s emotive vocals to really shine. The piano-driven melody has an atmospheric feeling to it that borders on ambient. Almost halfway through the single, a pulsing electronic drum groove claps through the soundscape. Combined with the tender melodic flow, these elements bring touches of pop and RnB together in a rather chilled and laid-back way. The rather relaxing arrangement of the melody offers its own tenderness to the single that really tugs at your emotions.
The atmospheric notes of the melody set the tone of the single, bringing the undeniable vulnerability of the track to life, but it is the vocals that really hit you in the chest. Muller’s performance is as tender as the melody floating around you like swirling mists. There is an open honesty to his performance as he lays down his feelings and gently tries to invoke the same emotions in someone else. It is a really vulnerable performance that leaves you feeling exposed and tender from the hurt of a toxic relationship. While the single is packed with vulnerable emotions, there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. Through the exposure of emotions and pain, Muller leads you to a point where you can move on from the past and find someone who treats you as you should be.
Using an honest vulnerability, Lewis Muller fills the chilled and atmospheric ‘Deny’ with the pain of a toxic relationship and the glimmering light of moving on. From start to finish, the single has a fragility to it that bolsters the vulnerability of the vocal performance. Muller is able to pack a serious emotive punch into rather relaxed vibes that leaves you feeling emotionally laid bare.
Find out more about Lewis Muller on his Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
