Review: Japanese Breakfast’s New Album “For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women)”
Indie pop band Japanese Breakfast released their fourth album, For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) on March 21. The Grammy–nominated band has performed for Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Coachella, and many other shows and festivals. Lead vocalist Michelle Zauner has been a guest on talk shows and podcasts for her 2021 debut memoir Crying in H Mart, which spent over 55 weeks as a New York Times Bestseller. Zauner’s versatility is on full display as not only a best selling author but also as a musician producing a new record worthy of the band’s past successes.
Japanese Breakfast is an accomplished band with passionate lyrics on loss, love, fear, hope, death, and life. For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) is no exception but uniquely explores a gothic–inspired theme with more literary references. The album highlights melancholy stealing the spotlight while coexisting with warmth. The album appeals not only to melancholy brunettes or sad women as the title suggests but also to those seeking an album with a range of emotions and stories.
I myself have practically worn out the grooves re-listening to the charming ocean–wave colored record I received as a late birthday gift. The vinyl’s appearance compliments the overall feel of the album and after a dozen replays, I have formulated my top five songs as well as a low–ranking bonus song that surprised me most.
#5: “Honey Water”
This song is a metaphor for being stuck in a bittersweet relationship with a cheating partner. The instrumental outro of Zauner’s electric guitar roars like a declaration, reminiscent of “Purple Rain” by Prince. The drums, piano, vocals, and guitar all come together effortlessly.
#4 “Orlando in Love”
This pre-released single sounds like a beautiful mixture between a poem and a painting, as expressed in the music video. “Orlando in Love” evokes the call of a siren or another beckoning mythological creature. The lyrics provide the name of the album as well.
#3: “Winter in LA”
Imagine twirling in a field of flowers, cast in sunlight, and you will have how “Winter in LA” feels. Zauner’s sunny voice interweaves with yearning yet blunt lyrics that are open to many interpretations. One is that she and her partner mutually wish they were happier together. However, I believe she is speaking with sarcasm on the expectations of women to act in a certain way.
#2: “Mega Circuit”
The single “Mega Circuit” has a buoyant beat that compliments a playful poke at what Zauner terms as contemporary masculinity of “soft hearts of young boys so pissed off and jaded.” The music video, shot on what appears to be a retro video camera, is full of ATVs, hunting rifles, camouflage, ziplines, a dummy head, and a strangely joyful Zauner.
#1: “Picture Window”
Out of all the songs, “Picture Window” has a unique beat that consistently flows through purposefully disjointed lyrics. The music video, filmed in Seoul, South Korea, is a short film all by itself with a storyline and gorgeous cinematography. The music video captures the feeling of rushing paranoia with the song’s repetitive line “But all of my ghosts are real” into “All of my ghosts are my home” and symbolizes letting go of these feelings as the actress finally pulls away from her partner’s pulling grasp.
Bonus: “Men in Bars”
Perhaps the strangest from the album with featured actor, Jeff Bridges, singing with Zauner about… you guessed it… men in bars. The song strikes a balance between reminiscing and romance but I cannot get rid of the image of Obadiah Stone from Iron Man or the Dude from The Big Lebowski singing this duet with Zauner. Something about “Men in Bars” appeals to the ear as a slow–dance duet but does not fit the album all that well.
