Japanese Breakfast – For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women)

(Staff Review)

For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) is the latest album from Japanese Breakfast, marking the first new release from Michelle Zauner’s indie-pop project in nearly four years since 2021’s widely acclaimed Jubilee. That record saw Zauner move away from the indie-rock foundations of Psychopomp (2016) and Soft Sounds from Another Planet (2017), embracing an extroverted pop gloss that resulted in a superb collection of eclectic 21st-century indie-pop. With For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women), she retains the crystal-clear production and pop-inspired sheen of its predecessor but achieves, as the title may suggest, a more introspective, soul-searching work.

Creatively, this shift makes perfect sense. Jubilee proved that Zauner was as adept at crafting bright, buoyant pop as she was at moody, spaced-out rock. In interviews, she has hinted that her fourth album is “the artist’s record”—suggesting that while Psychopomp and Soft Sounds from Another Planet were the groundwork for breaking into the industry, and Jubilee was the glossy, label-pleasing breakout, For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) is the deeply personal project she has now earned the freedom to make. And on first listen, it delivers exactly that.

The album’s lush instrumentation immediately stands out. Orlando in Love is adorned with crisp, intimate acoustic guitars and sweeping, breezy strings, creating a dreamy, weightless lilt. Mega Circuit leans into country influences, its sweet twang underscored by honky-tonk piano and the signature drumming of session legend Jim Keltner (known for his work with Ry Cooder). The album’s roots-inspired inflections reach their peak with the startling ballad Men in Bars, featuring an unexpected yet fitting guest vocal from actor and musician Jeff Bridges.

While Honey Water—a hazy, bustling dream-pop track—feels closest in spirit to Jubilee, the album shines most in its subtler, more introspective moments. The delicate intricacies of Little Girl and Leda highlight Zauner’s ability to weave emotion into the smallest sonic details. Winter in L.A. evokes the nostalgic warmth of recent albums including Clairo’s Charm (2024) and Jessica Pratt's Here In The Pitch (2024), with a dedication to instrumental craft that recalls the magic of ’60s and early ’70s records. Much of this richness can be credited to Zauner’s collaboration with producer Blake Mills, whom she specifically sought to extract the deepest potential from these brief, intimate songs—without over-embellishing them.

The album closes with Magic Mountain, a restrained yet stunning finale featuring elegant cello, glistening guitar, and rippling synths. It’s a modest but fittingly evocative closer, encapsulating the essence of the record. For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) may not be the sequel to Jubilee that many envisioned, but for an artist at this stage in her career, it feels like the perfect next step.

MUSIC-Cassettes