In The End It Always Does
THE JAPANESE HOUSE
In The End It Always Does (Dirty Hit)
Don’t be fooled by the pessimistic title: The Japanese House, aka Amber Bain, returns with an enjoyable amalgam of indiepop and synth workouts, a definite winner for those with a perchance for bedroom introspection. Though the album’s 80s-style production is sometimes charming, sometimes dated (the outrageously AOR cut Over There isn’t far off Phil Collins), it’s piano-led ballads that receive less of a blanket-coverage shine.
On Baby Goes Again, Bain’s doubletracked harmonies are a soothing pleasure washing over your speakers. Too, the heartbreak of One For Sorrow, One For Joni Jones, a paean to a dog’s companionship, is all too palpable. There are shades of labelmates The 1975, especially in hit single material Touching Yourself, a sun-shining bouncy number that takes a leaf from their romantic awkwardness: “When you call me, I’m all over the place”. Elegant, fun, yet brooding, it defies the 80s pop revival trend through an imaginative singer-songwriter.
words BILLY EDWARDS
