Japanese Breakfast, led by vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter, Michelle Zauner, has been a staple in the indie pop world for years. The band’s fifth album, For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) is an emotional journey which immerses its listeners into a world of both hope and sadness. Through poetic lyricism and a variety of character perspectives, Zauner explores the vulnerability of yearning, a large step away from the overall upbeat sounds of optimism in her previous album, Jubilee.
The general sound of this album differs from past projects, partly due to its nature of being recorded in a studio – something new for the group as they have typically recorded in DIY spaces. From songs such as the album’s opener, “Here Is Someone,” which provides an intricate web of guitars, strings, vocals, and bells, to the duet, “Men in Bars,” whichintroduce
s Jeff Bridges and a country ballad sound, each track is uniquely its own, while maintaining the overall theme of yearning and memories.
One of the most unique aspects of its album is its unusual use of a narrator; Zauner uses various viewpoints throughout each track to tell stories that are most important to her. From a lovesick woman, to a drunken father, to a tired couple, the characters within each song push the boundaries of autobiographical lyricism. By employing these differing perspectives within her music, Zauner can strengthen her themes of complex relationships, toxic masculinity, and the human experience.
Another standout feature of For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) is Zauner’s fascinating use of literary and mythological references throughout her lyrics. The second track of the album, “Orlando in Love,” references Virginia Woolf’s Orlando: A Biography, to connect to the album’s theme of personal identify, while the last track, “Magic Mountain,” plays upon ideas from Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain as a metaphor for the pressures of the music industry. Additionally, Zauner incorporates references to mythological figures, such as Icarus, Venus, and Leda to explore themes of desire and fate.
Overall, For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) is not just an album, but a work of art, earning a rating of 4/5 stars. With a variety of instruments and sounds, combined with poetic lyricism, Zauner creates a masterful representation of longing, wonder, the complexity of relationships, and, of course, melancholy.
