Album Review: The Japanese House Is “Good At Falling”

For The Japanese House, she is “Good At Falling” in love; the problem is staying. The “honeymoon period” of a relationship is legendary because it is so blissful getting to know what you like about someone; the problem is sustaining that “like” as constant fuel for when you see what you dislike. The same goes for your partner, and The Japanese House (TJH) explores this dynamic. 

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” We all know this biblical quote, but whether or not we manifest it is, in part, what TJH”s music explores. “Maybe, You’re The Reason,” “Lilo,” and “Marika Is Sleeping,” have her witnessing the immense vulnerability growing within her as she falls in love, and the slight resistances that come up when your spirit realizes it WANTS to share itself with another. Relationships, especially ones that are really worth it, can make you surprised by how hard, much, and willing you are to climb over hardships to keep your romance as strong as a mountain. 

From “We Talk All The Time” to “Worms,” The Japanese House layers her vocals as if Heaven has floors. Every harmony adds a new level of celestial haze that makes her lyrics of self-discovery and romantic openness truly honorable to love. There is something so beautiful about wanting to share yourself, which is why it can be terrifying. The best things often leave us coiled and silent, which makes TJH’s voice feel perfect. She grapples her notes as if she tenderly packing them back like, a heart that is trying to “unburst” itself. Anyone who has felt the surge of excitement of new/ passionate love understands what it is to feel so connected to someone, you almost feel endangered; as if their knowledge of you really could make you fall out of Love’s Eden.  

As her debut, The Japanese House, has made an album that feels like an electro dream. Honestly, that should be its literal genre: electro dream. Every synth combines with her guitar to create an altered sense of being, which is what love does. Then, you add that her voice sounds like a softness you cannot categorize but can feel, and “Good At Falling” really is something to fall in love with. For More Information On The Japanese House Click Here.