Review: The Japanese House’s “Boyhood”

Amber Bain, known as “The Japanese House” is an English indie singer/songwriter, contributing vocals and playing guitar, synthesizer, and keyboard for her music. She began writing music under the name “The Japanese House” in 2012, after Matty Healy of The 1975 offered to help produce her music through the label Dirty Hit, which has signed artists such as Beabadoobee and No Rome. Her first single, "Still,” which premiered on BBC Radio 1, was a massive success.

One can consistently trust The Japanese House to put out good work. Considering how small her discography is (she has released only one official-length album) she has earned herself quite the following. With two million monthly listeners on Spotify, the singer also boasts multiple songs featured in major television shows 13 Reasons Why, Atypical, and the 2021 reboot of Gossip Girl. 

What makes Amber Bain so captivating is the explicit sound she holds, part of which may be attributed to the fact that she plays her guitar upside down, allowing her to create cords and play in a totally unique way. Along with the interesting instrumentals comes Bain’s noticeably androgynous voice. I have yet to see another artist able to replicate her dream-like vocals. 

After a not-so-brief two-and-a-half-year hiatus, the Japanese house is back with a brand new single, “Boyhood.” Amber Bain has been extremely open about her sexuality, and this song is a love letter to gender identity. Something I loved about the single is the open way she writes about the struggles of knowing and finding yourself. The way it is written shows the up and down of growing up with the insecurity of realizing you don’t know who you are. Bain constantly goes back and forth, feeling that she knows who she is and then second-guessing herself, wondering if she should have been someone else entirely. What makes Bain’s lyrics so special is the way they take a listener into her unreliable and very human mind. It is rare that a person is certain of who they are, and the back-and-forth is what gives the song a heart and soul. 

This is only the first single. It is safe to assume that the Japanese house has plenty in store for us as the year continues.