Late Again’s I Dreamt I Was Awake ponders the ever-important question of what is in an identity. Brazilian-born New Yorker Rafael Melo has created a shining entry in the world of indie pop.
The opening track, “To Stop The Time,” asks, over and over again, “Who am I?” Relaying details of a fugue state in which nothing ever really seems to get done, Melo explores what it’s like to feel so lost that you have to find yourself in others. Hazy, dream-pop style production deepens this restless sensation. Nearly stumbling over the lyrics in quick succession, Melo hides the ache of an identity long gone behind a carefully messy exterior.
The same trend continues with the following song, “If You Have A Bridge (I’m Buying),” except this time, Melo is chastising himself for a match made in hell rather than agonizing over a missing sense of self. Yet, a newfound sense of optimism peeks out from behind the lyrics’ grey exterior. Despite everyone Melo knows being “broke or blue,” he still finds time to admire the view. This seems to be the case for most of the album. No matter how desolate things may seem, a silver lining is always just around the corner, waiting to be discovered. Rapid drumming and surround-sound echoes of guitar decorate the whisper vocals in a manner that resolutely evades any possible boredom.
“Crazy Or Stupid,” switches gears, lyrically. Naming various people of dubious existences, Melo examines just how absurd the world seems to have gotten as of late. Touching on topics such as deportation, generative AI and “clones replacing the dead,” in only two-and-a-half minutes, Melo manages to create something incredibly culturally relevant and topical without feeling too on-the-nose.
“My Sore Throat,” opens with a later reintroduced, crackly, spoken-word narration of a day in the Big Apple. Again touching on very relevant topics like the modern horrifying phenomenon of the “situationship,” Melo’s sore throat stands in the place of a broken heart in this innovative, two-sided breakup song.
New York City makes another appearance in “All My Exes Moved To The Countryside.” Almost acting as a person itself, the city plays a large role in the heartbreak explored within the song. Touching on feelings of dejection and isolation, New York City stands in for Melo himself, who feels perpetually left behind. Guitars that almost sound underwater go the distance to build an inescapable feeling of suffocation, which is exactly what the tune needed to drive its point home.
Picking up the pace again with the sixth and final track on the 18-minute project, “Every Time I Take A Sudafed,” brings a little bit of everything the previous five songs introduced. Spoken lyrics pulled from the style of “My Sore Throat” are paired with the bright guitar in “If You Have A Bridge (I’m Buying).” Heartbreak yet again makes an appearance, but is by no means taking center stage. New York is alluded to, but only in vague mentions and elusive allusions. It’s the best of all worlds and the perfect culmination of a rock-solid project.
Late Again has found something truly special in “I Dreamt I Was Awake.” He manages a cheeky, unserious tone when talking about important and ever-relatable topics, all while avoiding an offensive, blasé nature. Bits of sadness are bookended by excitement. Dreamlike vocals fit both the title and the subject matter divinely. With each song averaging only three minutes, “I Dreamt I Was Awake” is well worth the time it takes to listen, and then some.
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