all night" to stay up. Music and lyrics Don't Wake Me Up has been described primarily as a lo-fi rock and indie rock album, which includes elements of pop, and noise rock. Ryan Schreiber of Pitchfork called the mix of genres an "incredible balance" between noise rock and ambience, combining to become "distinctly indie rock". Nitsuh Abebe of AllMusic wrote, "Don't Wake Me Up moves between gritty lo-fi rock and droning, spacy constructions; a delicate pop melodicism lies beneath the surface noise of both". According to AsleepInTheBack of Sputnikmusic, the album's lyrics portray "various universal human experiences", told mostly using metaphors and quasi-stories. Many lines in the album are cryptic, although themes are recognizable; AsleepInTheBack wrote, "whilst general themes seep through his elusive ramblings, it's hard to feel confident that one has truly grasped the precise messages Phil wishes to convey." The opener, "Ocean 1, 2, 3", begins with a field recording of waves, which are replaced by vocal harmonies and crescendo of bass and keyboards. Then—described by Ryan Schreiber of Pitchfork as "when you least expect it"—a section of lo-fi rock continues until the song's end. "Florida Beach" uses a short snippet of "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys. "Here with Summer" uses the Mellotron, which Schreiber called "relaxed" and "sighing". The track transitions into "Where It's Hotter (Part 3)". Both tracks use organs and layered vocals; their textures are "dense", but not "claustrophobic", according to AsleepInTheBack. Legacy The release of Don't Wake Me Up gave Phil Elverum a small following, and according to Ian Gormely of Exclaim!, was the "first time Elverum [was] able to connect with an audience". According to Love Rock Revolution by Mark Baumgarten, the release of the album "set a new precedent for [K Records]" since Elverum's production was perceived as high-quality despite the studio's recording limitations. Baumgarten wrote that Don't Wake Me up was "praised for its production rather than accepted despite it". The album gave K Records a greater trust in Elverum's musical abilities. Critical reception Don't Wake Me Up received positive reviews from AllMusic, Pitchfork, and Sputnikmusic. Nitsuh Abebe of AllMusic rated the album four out of five stars, and praised its composition and textures. Abebe compared the album's sound to Stereolab's Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements and Grandaddy's early music, and Elverum's vocals to His Name Is Alive. Ryan Schreiber of Pitchfork, who gave the album 8.2 out of 10,