The Japanese House, the Indie Pop soloist from England released her first album “Good At Feeling” on March 1. Amber Bain started back in 2015 under the anonymous title of The Japanese House, releasing four EP’s. During their releases, she kept a low profile, staying away from social media and interviews. Bain is signed with Dirtyhit Records which is run by the frontman of The 1975, Matty Healy, and his manager.

 The tracks throughout the album are based on past experiences from Bain’s love life and her feelings from start to finish. The chorus of “Maybe You’re the Reason” details the feelings Bain had for her girlfriend when they were still together. As described by Genius, saying “you’re the only thing I can think about” shows that Bain’s girlfriend is always on her mind, even when she doesn’t want her to be. These lyrics are relatable for anyone who is in a relationship, or even people reminiscing on past ones. The song “You Seemed So Happy” follows the feelings of not being okay and having those around you completely oblivious to that. Almost everyone has felt down in their life and wanted others to notice it, but been neglected because “you seemed so happy to everybody you knew, these things don’t happen to anybody like you.” The dynamics of these differently lyrical songs give the album a nice appeal. Many can listen to this song and understand what Bain is going through, and this song can help them feel less alone, too.

 The songs are driven by their instrumentals, but the vocals in the backgrounds are a nice compliment to them. A lot of vocals throughout the songs are creatively layered, which brings a unique dynamic to the tracks. “I saw you in a dream,” a stripped down version of the 2015 release, has my favorite use of these vocal layers, which were the main focus in the song with light instrumentals in the background to support it.  The production of various other songs is crafted nicely using silence as a nice component mixed in the tracks, as seen in “Lilo” in specific parts of the songs. I really love the sound of Bain’s voice and believe it flows well with her Indie Pop style.

 The Japanese House created a skillfully composed albums that center around human emotions. The dynamic of the somewhat sad lyrics with the upbeat instrumental is a unique approach. The vocal arrangement was beautifully placed, and the album cover art matched the overall feel of the album.