The Japanese House – 'In The End It Always Does' Album Review

Tracklist:

1. Spot Dog

2. Touching Yourself

3. Sad To Breathe

4. Over There

5. Morning Pages

6. Boyhood

7. Indexical Reminder Of A Morning Well Spent

8. Friends

9. Sunshine Baby

10. Baby Goes Again

11. You Always Get What You Want

12. One For Sorrow, Two For Joni Jones

The Japanese House (in reality Amber Mary Bain) have been slowly growing on me for a while, so I was really interested and a little bit excited, to review this album.

I was then completely thrown by the first track on the album, it was different, and I’m not convinced in a good way, it had a touch of whimsicality about it but also didn’t feel like it was sure what it wanted to be. Intriguing! Where was this album going? Would I like it?

Before I had much time to think about it the current single 'Touching Yourself', came along, it's a tremendous three minutes of indie pop genius which deserves to be widely heard, the kind of song that if it gets the right airplay, will break the Japanese House in a massive way. Think Haim meets prime Till Tuesday (there’s a blast from the past!).

The album was now well and truly up and running, next song, 'Sad To Breathe' started slowly but then an insistent dance beat kicks in and it turns into a slice of electronica, a wonderful upbeat record with some truly sad and emotional lyrics.

'Over There' slows things right down, in a way it reminds me of prime Aimee Mann, it’s not the same voice clearly but there are some similarities in the style, the tone and the lyrics. It’s lovely, the vocals almost breathy, but full of emotion.

'Morning Page's continues the more introspective tone, once again the lyrics drag you in, surround you and bathe you in the voice. You find yourself wanting to know more about what’s going on and why, the just under four minutes you get are not enough!

I could go on song by song but I think you really should discover this album for yourself, it’s a slice of electronic, acoustic, indie, lovely, but emotionally engaging, pop genius.

It also contains one of the best song titles ever committed to vinyl, 'Indexical Reminder of a Morning Well Spent', how can you not want to listen to a song with that title?

There is a touch of Aimee Mann as I’ve said, there is also a hint of Haim, Suzanne Vega and Shawn Colvin, intrigued? You really should be!

This is a great album from an artist who is clearly very talented, not just in their singing but also in the lyric writing, the arrangements, the playing and the willingness to switch genre.

Other standout tracks? Personally I really enjoyed 'Friends' and' One for Sorrow', Two for Joni Jones'.

All in all this is a luscious, beautiful album that deserves to be listened to, so what are you waiting for, stop reading this and go listen!