The Japanese House - Face Like Thunder

For all its beachside implications and nods to water, there’s always been something inner-city about The Japanese House’s sound. From the sci-fi-esque squelches and bleeps that frame her tenderest moments, to the frightening pace at which her tales unfold, there’s a constant, present day slant on the classic singer-songwriter model, traceable throughout every step so far.

“I sat by myself and I stared at pictures of you on the wall,” she admits on new single ‘Face Like Thunder’, the archetypal image of the heartbroken artist. It’s a modern day malaise, though - the strains of a relationship’s breakdown, put through the wringer of a non-stop schedule, with no time to pause, reflect or communicate.

It’s Amber’s beefed up production that takes the fore on ‘Face Like Thunder’, and pitches it far above her first works. Those months on the road alongside The 1975 clearly paying dividends, the post-bedroom aesthetic of The Japanese House’s early EPs has been shed. Built on those foundations is a monolith of electronica, sprouting dazzling new levels, balconies and gargoyles at every juncture. It’s every bit as overwhelming as that thunder Amber cowers from.