Album Review: AFTER DINNER WE TALK DREAMS - MICHELLE
Release Date: March 4, 2022
Runtime: 37 min 16 sec
Rating: 91/100
High Tracks: EXPIRATION DATE, POSE, NO SIGNAL, LAYLA IN THE ROCKET
Low Tracks: FIRE ESCAPE, SPACED OUT, PHASED OUT
AFTER DINNER WE TALK DREAMS creates the most perfect blend of raw emotions and silky soundtracks. It's cozy, it's despairing, it's self-aware, it's raunchy, it's honest, it's uplifting, and most amazingly, it's all of these simultaneously. In theme with the title, this album is best enjoyed with an impromptu dinner party in an apartment packed with too many loved ones. Barring that, a dance around the kitchen while clutching a glass of wine is perfectly acceptable. MICHELLE, a six piece group hailing from NYC, emulsifies elements of jazz, pop, R&B, and funk into a smooth mixture that layers beautifully underneath punchy hooks and driving verses. AFTER DINNER WE TALK DREAMS is an album for both sad and happy moments, with enough flavor and body to cover anything in between.
Taking an immediate left turn from a majority of modern pop, "MESS U MADE" kicks off the album in a waltzy 3/4 time signature. The slow and sultry tune invokes a slight body sway while being just a touch melancholy. It's just enough to not bring the mood down, but to provide a noticeable contrast with the next trilogy of tracks: "EXPIRATION DATE," "POSE," and "SYNCOPATE." These three songs create the strongest run on the album, giving poppy and funky melodies, and stories of a self-aware, yet ignorant bliss that everyone craves. They'll have toes tapping for sure, and a closer examination of lyrics shows a no-regrets attitude towards love:
Since you loved me and left
And you tore me to pieces
And it'll hurt for a while
But I'm still breathing
But it's okay, I know I'll find another you
From there, reality seems to set in. The next three track run, "NO SIGNAL," "TALKING TO MYSELF," and "50/50," focuses less on honeymoon phases of relationships and more on the sustainable needs of a human being. This manifests relatively mildly at first in "NO SIGNAL," with:
No signal, phone down, off the grid
You know I care about you but I need a minute
For one night
I gotta forget you
"TALKING TO MYSELF," flip flops that attitude, or perhaps shows the perspective of the other person with:
In a haze, overthinking
Chatting up the smoke rings
Listen back to the voicemail
Hoping you'll pick up but I'm still
Talking to myself
All these feelings of separation and neglect culminate into a final collapse on "50/50," with a chorus that goes:
I need 50/50
We're zero and a hundred
It hurts you just a little
But I go catatonic
When you've got it all
And I've got less than nothing
You might break me
Into 50/50
At this point, you might be thinking, "This is a dinner party; I don't need this much narrative in my soundtrack." Well that's great because in just a shake, "END OF THE WORLD" will come on and create quite a stir. It's poppy, rambunctious, and the most lyrically blunt song on the album. There's little room for interpretation except to dance and have a great time.
Shortly after that, comes a one-two punch of "HAZARDS," and "LAYLA IN THE ROCKET." Sonically, everything to this point has been light and floaty, like a pleasant spring day. "HAZARDS," is a storm. It's rich and groovy. It's a two finger pour of whiskey with two flicks of water, no ice. Then, almost immediately, MICHELLE takes you back into the clouds with "LAYLA IN THE ROCKET." A rocking bassline keeps the situation grounded, but it likely isn't enough to keep you from moving. Plucky synths ride on top of a soaring chorus and as referenced, only takes three before blasting off.
The final track of AFTER DINNER WE TALK DREAMS is an appropriately titled appreciation for "MY FRIENDS." While primarily being an homage to New York City, it's also about the individuals and how important they are. After handling mental spirals of relationships and general hardships of life, having the people to call home makes it all better. Friends and family simply meeting up to enjoy good food and voice their thoughts will never be undervalued. Go have a party, eat, and dance. Happiness is priceless.