[4.5/5]
On Neva Dinova's previous album, The Hate Yourself Change, frontman Jake Bellows sang, "The world's a shitty place, I can't wait to die." The Omaha act's third full-length (and Saddle Creek debut) You May Be Dreaming isn't much more uplifting. That said, Bellows is a master of his craft, and while his peers like Tim Kasher literally reference tortured writers like Charles Bukowski and John Fante in their songwriting, Bellows is able to evoke their spirits. Accordingly, nearly every song on You May Already Be Dreaming mentions mortality, from the hymnal opener "Love From Below" to the stripped-down acoustic "Funeral Home" (which is reminiscent of the band's collaborative EP with Bright Eyes). However, when Bellows wonders aloud, "Where's the pain?" (on "Tryptophan"), you realize he's obsessed with salvation, not suffering-and, in fact, maybe things aren't so bad after all. (SADDLE CREEK) Jonah Bayer
 Official Website: http://www.saddle-creek.com
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