The Japanese House - "In The End It Always Does"

Slow, smooth Dream Pop about the slow, smooth decline of a relationship

The Japanese House is Amber Bain, and this is her second album, though she’s had a good handful of EPs since she started her career in 2015. This is a solo project, not a band, but she named it after a house she and her family vacationed in when she was a child - a property in England which was modeled in the style of traditional Japanese tea houses. Reportedly, it was once owned by Kate Winslet.

Bain’s vocals are somewhat androgynous, and she didn’t want her music being judged along gender lines. Thus, the pseudonym. Critics have also described her voice as similar to that of Imogen Heap, and I can definitely hear it at points. Her lyricism is good, but not nearly to Imogen’s level yet.

The story of this album is interesting. And sad. Of course, with the feeling of inevitability in the album’s title, alone, that should be obvious.

Bain found herself falling into a polyamorous relationship in 2019. In late 2020, and the years that followed, as Bain was working on this album, the relationship began to fracture, and ultimately fell apart. Another review noted that each song was, ultimately, a ‘snapshot in time’ as the relationship failed.

Most of the tracks are relatively downtempo here. “Friends” is the most upbeat song. “Sad To Breathe” is also really upbeat once it gets going.

The album is also predominantly acoustic, though there are some occasional electronic elements or vocal distortions. And, because it’s Dream Pop, the instrumentation feels oriented at the sky. After all, you can’t be ‘dreamy’ without an aura. Those who like music with an atmosphere should be able to enjoy this one.

It is a more bare-bones atmosphere at many points in the album, but it’s omnipresent.

Overall, the album is a pleasant sort of listen. The lyrical arc slopes downward, but honestly takes some really close listening to track; so despite the sad tone of the subject matter, it mostly just sounds pretty and relaxing.

Rating: Teal Green