For Melancholy Brunettes (&sad women) by Japanese Breakfast Album Review
I saw Japanese Breakfast live on Halloween a few years ago and they dressed as the entire Lord of the Rings cast. It was pretty awesome. They are all incredibly talented musicians and it was such a pleasure seeing them play. After this show, I could not wait to see what they would creat next! After a break, Japanese Breakfast returned with the album For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)
I wasn’t that crazy about the title for this album. I think the term ‘sad women’ can be overused and isn’t often taken seriously. I almost wish the album was just called, “For Melancholic Brunettes.” The “&sad women” part just feels redundant and unserious.
“Here is someone,” the opening track, is a more low energy track, but I like how beautiful the instrumentation is. Between the acoustic guitars, the gentle piano, and sweeping synths, you feel as though you are entering another universe. The song’s lyrics, though simple, depict a life of someone hoping for slower days but worried about disappointing those around them. Ending the track with the lines “Watching you from the yard, life is sad, but here is someone” showcases to me this idea that though life can be confusing and difficult, you have someone beside you helping you through it.
“Orlando in Love “was the single released prior to the album and it is a song I’m still not that crazy about. I find the lyrics to be boring and the instrumentation lackluster and uninspiring. Perhaps one day I will grow to like this song, but as of now I’m not that excited about it.
“Honey Water” to me was a standout track on this album. I love the shoe gaze feel the band is going for. There’s also a long almost psychedelic type instrumentation section at the end of the song which I adore. Lead singer Michelle Zauner’s voice almost fades in with the instrumentation within this track, yet still stands out just enough to make the lyrics really be felt. The lyrical content discusses an unfaithful partner it seems, with an opening line of “Why can’t you be faithful?” but I think this song could also be discussing faith in some instances, for the next line goes “why won’t you believe.” I like the idea that this song can have multiple meanings. I love the line that says “they say only love can change a man, but all that changes is me.” I think that’s an extremely powerful line.
“Mega Circuit” is a highlight on this record for me. The instrumentation is lively, with a guitar driven melody and thumping bass. The rhythm guitar strumming layered with the rest of the track was addictive to my ears. The lyrics provide, as Michelle Zauner explains in an interview, an “examination of contemporary masculinity and explores a conflicted desire to embrace a generation that in the absence of positive role models has found refuge in violence and bigotry.” I actually wish this was the lead single for this album. Given its content matter as well as it’s catchy instrumentation I think this is an incredible song exploring an incredibly hard topic in the modern world.
“Little Girl” isn’t necessarily a standout track on this record, but I think it is still a good song. The instrumentation is more peaceful and subdued, a nice change of pace after “Mega Circuit.” The lyrical content explores a possible strained relationship with a future child, at one point saying “dreaming of a daughter who won’t speak to me, Running for her father coming home, all I need is understanding.”
“Leda” to me very much blended in with the rest of this album. The song doesn’t really stand out to me at the moment. The instrumentation is still nice like many of the other songs on this record, but that and the lyrics don’t really stick out to me. Although, I do love the line, “pacing the room, awaiting a moment gone too far.”
“Picture Window” is one of my favorites on this album. The bass line is so intoxicating, and Zauner’s vocals pair nicely with the instrumentation. The guitars feel smooth throughout the track as well. I love the repetition of the line “all of my ghosts are real.” it is such a haunting phrase, yet encapsulates how realistic fears can feel.
“Men in Bars” featuring Jeff Bridges is a miss for me. As much as I love the folky country instrumentation, I’m not crazy about Zauner and Bridges’ vocals together. I think at times their vocals mesh well, but many times Bridges’ vocals feel out of place.
“Winter in LA” is another highlight of this album for me. I find this song to be so catchy. I think the lyrics are beautifully tragic, with Zauner singing lines saying “I wish you had a happier woman, one that could leave the house.” These lyrics allude to the speaker dealing with deep sadness and wishing for the sake of others that she did not deal with such a sadness. This is a beautiful yet melancholic song that makes me feel as though I am ascending with the dreamy instrumentation.
The album concludes with Magic Mountain. This track contains a beautiful cello weaving throughout, which adds something truly special to this song. This song feels like an appropriate closure to the album with a concluding line of “bury me beside you in the shadow of my mountain.” I think this line alludes to wanting to be buried with your love, but “in the shadow of my mountain” alludes to having to be buried along with all you have done.
I did enjoy this album, despite not being super crazy about every song. I really enjoyed the production and instrumentation, much of which felt different than previous Japanese Breakfast albums. The lyrics were also interesting and in my opinion fit with the melancholic energy Zauner was wishing to bring to this project. I think this album was a great follow up to Japanese Breakfast’s previous record Jubilee and I cannot wait to see what they create next.
Also, I highly recommend Michelle Zauner’s Memoir, Crying in H Mart. It is so beautifully written and I could not put this book down once I started reading.
