In times of coping, our subconscious can become an enemy—betraying our health to linger in the past. On the excellent collaboration between producer Miles Away and vocalist Danni Carra, this concept is explored through transporting listeners to an ethereal realm that feels shadowed by mortal anxieties and ennui. "Back To Sleep" is a purple nightlight in a bedroom: otherworldly until the dark shadows casted along the walls look like demons. The production breaks away from its malaise in the chorus, adding elements of trip-hop and dance-pop to the dreamy mix. There's a magical and weightless feeling to this shift in energy, descending scales of what sounds like a toy xylophone giving it the feeling of falling but never landing on the ground. Lyrically exploring the experience of being trapped in a feeling, the production compliments Carra's gorgeous voice by ensnaring us in its dreamy and captivating world. Like a lotus flower in Greek Mythology, the real killer of "Back to Sleep" is just how enticing it is.
"When the sky turns upside down / I'll fade into you, like I always do," Carra confesses in the pre-chorus. It's the most tangible conclusion she can excavate from her dizzying spell, recognizing how stability impacts our ability to be present and self-assured. "Wake up, repeat it / can't change but I keep on / blaming myself," she lilts as the chorus sparks alive. Here, the crux of the song is seared into its DNA. To be aware of the problem is the first step, but what comes after when you are both the victim and the perpetrator, the forest and the fire? "Back to Sleep" is a life raft in the vast ocean of your own mind—it can feel like a savior until it looks more like a symptom.
Miles Away is a producer based in Vancouver, Canada, and the moniker of Devin Belanger. His electronic production is flexible and lush, perfectly stretching to compliment the long list of collaborators he's worked with. In 2020, Belanger was nominated for "Electronic & Dance Artist of the Year in the Western Canadian Music Awards. "Back to Sleep" is the sixth single the producer has released in 2022, alongside several collaborations and solo releases. Belanger began releasing in 2017, and has since released a slew of impeccable remixes, original songs, and more.
Written By Andy Mockbee
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