Japanese Breakfast - For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) (Album Review)
Wednesday, 26 March 2025
Written by Katie Macbeth
Photo: Pak Bae
Throughout Japanese Breakfast’s discography, Michelle Zauner has consistently offered listeners a portal into her inner world. Each album has functioned as a diary, where raw emotion is alchemised into intricate indie-rock explorations. ‘For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women)’ continues this tradition, offering a deeply felt exploration of the dizzying heights of love, the sting of yearning, and the weight of sorrow.
Opening the record, Here is Someone is a masterclass in gentle invitation. Its guitars shimmer with a dew-kissed quality, their freshness interacting with a wistful synth melody as Zauner creates an atmosphere that pops with quiet hope.
Lead single Orlando in Love takes this blueprint and scales it up. Zauner’s voice, both crystalline and aching, climbs above a lush string arrangement as lovers exchange furtive glances.
It’s a star-crossed dreamscape set to music and also a heartfelt ode to the enduring power of literature’s great romances.
But as its title suggests, the album is also unafraid to venture into the darker corners of the human heart. Honey Water occupies a more intimate, shadowy space riven by the tension of betrayal. Zauner’s voice, now hushed and confiding, lays bare the pain of infidelity against a backdrop of sombre piano chords and a deep, resonant bass. A standout moment is an unexpectedly raw duet with Jeff Bridges called Men In Bars. It’s a track that seeks to strip away any artifice, with both artists willing to push for emotional truth.
At its core, ‘For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women)’ is a journey towards understanding how fleeting moments of joy and lingering sorrow are inextricably intertwined. Zauner’s unique talent for merging vulnerability with expansive writing enables her to craft a world that feels both personal and oddly universal.
Japanese Breakfast Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Sun June 29 2025 - MANCHESTER Academy
Mon June 30 2025 - GLASGOW Barrowland
Tue July 01 2025 - BRISTOL O2 Academy Bristol
Thu July 03 2025 - LONDON O2 Academy Brixton
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