Talk about millennial optimism: Released in the year 2000, this album pre-dates the post-recession millennial joy and hope that occurred in the 2010s. The album as a whole has charming storytelling and imagery that makes the listener feel almost foolishly assured that everything will be alright. The album “You Think It’s Like This But Really It’s Like This” presents a hopeful and sincere portrayal of domestic life. The title itself speaks to the complexity of relationships. In songs like “La Familia” and “100 knives,” Mirah juxtaposes sweet-sounding vocals and simple music with blunt talk of intimacy and relationships. She sings “Cut me, smash me/Strain me, eat me” with such a playful, light voice that you nearly don’t realize the raunchiness of her description. She idealizes effortless, candid moments in “Gone Sugaring” with sayings “Won’t you take me to the 24th floor?/Where the air is clear, and I can see the sun is rising east,” which displays how painfully infatuated she feels in these sorts of everyday situations. Mirah is earnest, wholesome, shy, sweet, and intimate. “You Think It’s Like This But Really It’s Like This” is romantic and positive; it has a quirky simplicity that romanticizes day-to-day moments, making it a playful, hopelessly optimistic listen.