The Japanese House Plays Intimate New Record In San Diego
By Greg Poblete
November 17, 2023 — English indie-pop artist Amber Mary Bain, also known by the stage name, The Japanese House, brought her latest tour to The Observatory North Park venue in San Diego, California. With the release of the latest album, In The End It Always Does, Bain flexes her songwriting skills through heartbreak, translating this pain into a gorgeous live show.
Opening the show was indie-folk artist, quinnie. Most known for the massive TikTok hit, “touch tank,” quinnie played an intimate acoustic set, playing a handful of singles and songs from her debut record, flounder. This was a perfect set to start the night and set the mood for The Japanese House.
If you are unfamiliar with the sonic palette of Amber’s music, it is very similar to record label mates, The 1975. The main difference is that The Japanese House tend to hold off on all the antics and over-the-top stage presence Matty Healy is known for. The musical similarities also make sense when knowing that Healy and George Daniel from ‘75 had a hand in producing In The End It Always Does. Katie Gavin of the queer power-pop group MUNA and Justin Vernon also helped work on the record, propelling Bain’s voice and artistic vision to new heights.
The new record comes four years after the release of her debut record, Good at Falling in 2019. In between, there was the release of the critically acclaimed, Chewing Cotton Wool EP. This EP demonstrated Bain’s ability to create catchy choruses through succinct songwriting. In The End It Always Does shows Bain improving on all fronts, writing from a more honest and vulnerable place, displaying her queer identity and upbringing. The record narratively speaks from a place of heartbreak as well as rediscovery of one’s self.
With these incredibly personal songs, seeing how they would be performed in a live setting was exciting to see. As a live performer, Bain is rather timid, but not in a detrimental way. Without having an overabundance of theatrics to stimulate the live show, the core songs truly have center stage. Even during more upbeat tunes like “Touching Yourself” and “Friends,” the main focus is the lyrical ingenuity.
The show began with “Sad to Breathe,” which begins with a slow swell, leading into an explosive dance track that got everyone in The Observatory moving. The 18-track setlist included a majority of songs from In The End It Always Does, a handful from Good at Falling, and everything from Chewing Cotton Wool EP except “Sharing Beds.” It was a very dynamic set from front to back, allowing space to sit and breathe with slow-burning tracks like “Over There” and “Morning Pages.”
The Japanese House - Sad to Breathe (Official Live Video)
The live band was incredibly fluid and performed very well together. The guitars sounded stunning live, the bassist was absolutely in the pocket of every song, and I’m a sucker for whenever there’s a saxophone player on stage. Bain herself played rhythm guitar, almost hiding behind the instrument as her spellbinding vocals carried every tune. She is not a very animated artist on stage, but it would seem like a disservice to mask such intimate songs in over-performance. This tour feels like a celebration of The Japanese House’s discography, and gives fans the opportunity to hear the fully-realized version of the new record.
The encore songs were “One for sorrow, two for Joni Jones” and “Sunshine Baby.” Both beautiful tracks from In The End It Always Does that sum up the narrative of the record succinctly. Overall, the live show was as colorful and lovely, bringing the songs from the new album to life through incredible musicianship and heart.
To check out any upcoming live shows and other news regarding The Japanese House, check out their website. And don’t forget to listen to the new album, In The End It Always Does, available on streaming platforms now.
