To be a creative writer entails a slight romanticization of life. But what happens when this romanticisation turns into an all-out fantasy of one’s own life? That is the blueprint of Japanese Breakfast‘s album For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women) — an album that balances gothic whimsy sounds with fragile and dark storylines. Dealing with themes of abuse, maladaptive daydreaming and isolation, the indie-pop band uses influences from Baroque-pop, Fiona Apple and alternative folk to convey the fall from fantasy to reality as the track list progresses.
Opening the album is “Here Is Someone,” which creates the fantastical world of Japanese Breakfast, with plucked strings and acoustic guitars setting a whimsical tone. This dreamlike mood is only emphasized by the playful woodwind break in the middle of the song. But this world has a dark undercurrent as the lyrics give a glimpse into a relationship full of loneliness yet still holding on out of fear – “life is sad but here is someone.” This opener works wonderfully to set the album’s overall tone and thematic elements while also leaving space for the sound to develop as the track list moves.
“Orlando In Love” was the lead single off of the album and listening back it makes sense to why this decision was made. The overall atmosphere of the song could fit anywhere in the album with references to many of the album’s inspirations. Whether it be the poet Matteo Maria Boiardo, or a gothic painting, the song strings together these artistic references, creating a lambent of love and punishment. The build-up that’s then cut off ending the song signals the first shift in the album as “Honey Water” offers a heavier and fuller sound. Crunchy drums and electric guitar signal the end of a whimsical fantasy of love as the cracks starts to become truly noticeable. The lyrics “they say that love can change a man / but all thats changed is me” is a soft admission of pain. Additionally, the chorus’s “the allure of honey water draws you from my arms” highlights a struggle of self-esteem as the lyricist and frontwoman Michelle Zauner wonders if she isn’t happy or sweet enough to be loved. Still, the refusal to fully confront this loss is not yet conceded as the lead singer repeats “so it goes / I don’t mind.”
The second single of the album, “Mega Circuit” displays the most the 90s influence on the album with the band channelling their inner Fiona Apple. This would have been an easy task with producer Blake Mills, who has produced for Apple, collaborating on all tracks of the album. Carrying on with the heavier sound of “Honey Water,” “Mega Circuit” dives more into the album’s darker themes as the lyrics dissect a jaded view of modern toxic masculinity and misogyny. The first verse “Plotting blood with your incel eunuchs” highlights how misogyny has adapted to modern times rather than disappeared. The fuller sound of “Mega Circuit” is stripped back in the following song as the audience is finally confronted with the reality of an abusive relationship.
“Little Girl” strips further from the opening songs of the album with the acoustic guitars gliding for most of the song. This is the first song that feels fully vulnerable as the lyrics can be as blunt as they need to be to convey a loss of childhood and fear for the future. “Dreaming of a daughter that won’t speak to me” only highlights this fear of being truly and fully unlovable. Still, there are to be more songs before Japanese Breakfast can accept that they are not, in fact, undesirable.
The sense of loneliness that has been building throughout the album finally comes to the forefront in “Leda,” easily one of the most heartbreaking songs of the album. Continuing on the previous tune’s slower pace, Japanese Breakfast has no more delousing left to give as we are sat with the realities of an abusive relationship. Lyrically, this song is a masterclass in writing with lyrics such as “your special way of ruining the mood” and “is it the bar or blood?” The title references the myth of Leda and the swan, whose dubious consent to be seduced by Zeus has long been debated. In this song, it’s clear how Zaruner sees the myth, as the reverb builds and the singer’s loneliness becomes overwhelming.
“Picture Window” is the most reminiscent of Japanese Breakfast’s last album, Jubilee, with faster rhythms and pace, electric piano, guitars and a drum set. Additionally, the lyrical content has a shift toward anger as the burden of a relationship falling apart starts to weigh too much on the song’s subject.
Jeff Bridges is the only feature of the album, sharing a verse and chorus on “Men In Bars.” Taking notes from the song’s setting, this tune sounds like a ballad sung late at night in a bar. Building from “Picture Window,” this song beings the process of accepting that a love is gone and had been lost long ago. This acceptance sees the return of some of the album’s earlier whimsical elements such as strings and bells in the song “Winter In LA.” The lyrics “And if I were a happier woman”… “They’re for the man she loves” show how Zauner has come to accept that she isn’t in a relationship built on love.
Closing out For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women) is “Magic Mountain,” a reference to the novel “The Magic Mountain” by Thomas Mann. The return to the doubled acoustic guitars and focus on strings only emphasises the book-ending of the album. The song is an emotional send-off as Japanese Breakfast reflects on a dark time, hoping to bury it in the “shadow of a mountain.”
Japanese Breakfast finish For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women) on a darker and more mature tone than they started with, reflecting the change in the band. With some creative and incredible production design complimented with striking lyrics, the album offers a new way to accept and process trauma. As the album finishes and colourful instrumentation returns, it feels more hopeful and genuine than it had sounded in the beginning — only further highlighting the band’s ability to craft and detail a breathtaking story.
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