Hey, good to see you!
Awake is my third-favorite after I&W and Scenes from a Memory--but it might be better than SfaM. It took me a looong time to like (over a year), but it might be my most-listened-to album now.
Space-Dye Vest is good. This might sound crazy, but my favorite song on the whole album is the very simple The Silent Man. It shows a great grasp of basic melody, and the lyrics are probably my favorite in any Dream Theater song. Also, Innocence Faded is a fun rocker, and Scarred (one of the last songs on the album I liked) is one of their greatest epics.
The only beef I have with the album is the fact that it ended with Space-Dye Vest. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love that song, but it's quite depressing and I feel like it should have ended on an uplifting note with Scarred (which has the redemption theme). Still, every song on the album, including SDV, is amazing.