How can one be truly melancholic when they have the gorgeous soundscapes of Japanese Breakfast at their fingertips.
Japanese Breakfast is a dream pop project, formed by Michelle Zauner back in 2013. Whilst the title’s suggestion that the fourth studio release by the band would be a sad one is correct, the heavy content they tackle is overpowered by the beauty of the composition, making that the main takeaway.
The opening track of the album, Here Is Someone, introduces ethereal vocals from Michelle, a staple sound throughout each song. Delicately plucked, arpeggiated guitars are incrementally interjected with dynamic synth swells, creating a rise and fall of energy. The LP switches between dream pop and shoegaze, the latter being evident on the slightly heavier tracks such as Honey Water and Mega Circuit.
The drums on Honey Water cut through the mix with a punchy kick and huge snare. Mega Circuit (my own personal favourite), is a grungy piece that calls out a culture of misogyny being passed down from “old men” to “young boys”. Despite the songs’ muses possessing negative attributes, Zauner implies part of her is still drawn to them; “Plotting blood with your incel eunuchs, I could be the home you need”.
Around the album’s midpoint, we’re provided with a couple of slower tracks that perhaps cater more to the brunettes and sad women that JB dedicated it to. Little Girl, a ballad where Michelle talks about her ambitions for a simpler, slower future as opposed to her previous years at “breakneck speed”. The vulnerability of the lyrics shouldn’t be glossed over as she describes her desire: “Dreaming of a daughter that won’t speak to me, running for her father coming home”. Perhaps she’s suggesting that an unhappy private life would be preferable to her current fame? Or that her desire for a daughter outweighs her need to be loved? Maybe she’s referencing her own relationship with her mother, and she believes that to be her fate with her own daughter? But who am I to read between the lines anyway?
Picture Window contains more lyricism worth exploring. The refrain: “Are you not afraid of every waking minute? That your life could pass you by?”, a pessimistic outlook on the future from an artist who doesn’t shy away from her melancholy. She further opens up in the chorus; “All my ghosts are real, all my ghosts are my home”, an accurate portrayal of the thought mentality of someone struggling with their mental health. Shout out to all the mentally ill creatives out there, you’re just like Japanese Breakfast?
One of the more peculiar moments on the album is the feature from actor Jeff Bridges on the track Men in Bars. A collaboration that I don’t think anybody would have predicted. A country-esque ballad about falling into the wrong arms, specifically that of “men in bars”. The combination of the soft, sweet tones of Michelle and the tired but warm vocal chords of Jeff creates a beautiful little album track that, while not loads to write home about, won’t be getting any complaints from me.
As I mentioned at the beginning, the composition is my main takeaway from this album and when discussing instrumentation, there’s very few that tickle my ears and catch my attention quite like a cello. I fucking love cellos. The final track on the album, Magic Mountain provided me with this unexpected little treat just as I was beginning to lose interest.
All in all, I think JB have provided us with a gorgeous album, full of honest, introspective lyrics and beautiful, heartwarming compositions. While the album is short, it’s incredibly sweet, and far less miserable than the title would suggest. Besides, a little melancholy is good for the soul. Isn’t it?