In The End It Always Does - August Album Of The Month

In the end it always by The Japanese House ( mentioned in my 1975 concert review ) is an extremely versatile album with a song for every situation. With a runtime of 45 minutes and highs of Sunshine Baby and lows of Morning Pages feat. MUNA this was an absolutely revolutionary album for Amber Bain. Let's go through each song and highlight why this album was so good.

1. Spot Dog - 4m 28s

As album openers go, this is up there with my personal favourites. It's got a hallucinating melody and earnest lyrics this song works and fits The Japanese House style very very well. This song is all about wanting to keep a hold on an intimate connection you may have with someone. This is highlighted in the chorus where Amber says "I don't wanna go yet, I don't wanna come yet, lying on your chest, I think I know you best." Basically saying how she desires for things to say the same. A meaningful tune with a great sound. Spot Dog 7/10.

2. Touching Yourself - 3m 2s

This song is my favourite song on this whole album. Extremely upbeat and perfect for getting yourself in a good mood, this song is captivating and has never disappointed when I've seen it live. The albums theme of relationships continue in this song, touching yourself explores the ideas of desire and the complete consumption of all Ambers thoughts. In the lyrics Amber receives a message from a partner and can't stop thinking about it throughout the day and pictures their partner....well, you can assume from the title. This is an anthem of summer and deserves a spot in you summer playlist this year. Touching Yourself 10/10.

3. Sad To Breathe - 3m 34s

Much like Touching Yourself, Sad to Breathe (although a slow acoustic start) is another pleasure to listen to, with a bouncy drum beat and floaty melody it's another one for a summer playlist. Unlike Touching Yourself however, Sad To Breathe has a deeper meaning of the emotional pain of ending a relationship. This is shown in lyrics such as "I go to bed and I'm crying, cause its sad to breathe the air when you're not there." As Amber says 'It's about that desperate feeling when someone leaves you and the disbelief that they could". Sad To Breathe 8.5/10

4. Over There - 4m 43s

Over there is a melancholy song all round. This songs about Amber Bain looking back on the memories and feelings she felt in her past relationships, highlighted when she says "Driving past the airfield, flying by a memory." Another sad part of this song is when Amber describes the moment when her ex came to pick up her stuff, as she says "She doesn't stay round here anymore, but she came by to get some things she left behind, she keeps her shoes on, there's not a lot to lose, when you've lost someone, and she's already gone." This shows her emotions on how her ex is moving on and she's still longing for her or at least reminiscing on her memories of when her ex used to come round and stay. Over there 7.5/10

5. Morning Pages Feat. MUNA - 3m 48s

I did not see this coming but boy was I happy when it happened. 2 of my favourite bands coming together to produce a super sad song but an extremely delightful listen. Morning Pages is all about the feelings that stay even after you break up with someone. When Amber writes " You wait for a feeling, but it never quite hits." This could represent the nostalgia that you feel after a relationship and how your usually going home to a loving partner but you aren't anymore. Morning Pages 7/10.

6. Boyhood - 3m 10s

Boyhood is one of the biggest tracks off in the end it always does and is a big hitter at concerts and festivals. Boyhood is all about self discovery, acceptance and LGBTQ+. In her owns words , Amber says "The decision behind choosing this track as my return to the scene was that I was thinking a lot about being gay and gender-obsessed. And I was thinking a lot about how I don’t really feel like a woman or a girl, and so it’s strange ‘cause I grew up as a girl and I didn’t have a boyhood." Boyhood 8.5/10

7. Indexical Reminder Of A Morning Well Spent - 4m 43s

IROAMWS is a great song, however it is probably my least favourite on the album. It's guitar is very very beautiful but the vibe doesn't match very well with me. However I would still say that for a least favourite song it is still very very good. IROAMWS 6/10.

8. Friends - 3m 9s

Overlooked by many, friends is an absolute banger. It may not be as big as Sunshine Baby or Boyhood but it is still an excellent song. With collaboration from Charli XCX it's no wonder this song is top in my books. It may sound like a simple love song but it has deeper emotions of yearning for things and overthinking stuff. This is represented in the lyrics “And she seemed so sad, do I think about her more than you, do I touch the way you want me to, do you feel the way I do?” Friends is a brilliant song and is an underrated gem on this album. Friends 9.5/10.

9. Sunshine Baby - 3m 40s

Arguably the most popular on the album Sunshine Baby is well known and widely popular by the fanbase and more. With vocals from Matty Healy (lead singer of the 1975) it's no wonder that it's so popular. With a wide range of feelings this song manages to capture an essence of vulnerability and put it into the form of a beautiful love song. It is a song deserving of it's popularity and is bound to keep it's place on Amber Bains live show setlist for the foreseeable future. Sunshine Baby 9.5/10.

10. Baby Goes Again - 3m 31s

This song demonstrates the art of in the end it always does so perfectly. It is a complete pleasure to listen to and has beautiful vocals as well as a captivating melody. One of the lyrics are "I keep circling, you can't stop a circle, I keep coming back around." This references back to the whole point of the album and why the cover art is a circle. It's about the cycle of life (specifically relationships). Baby Goes Again 8/10.

11. You Always Get What You Want - 2m 48s

This song is beautifully bitter, it's all about Ambers spitefulness of an ex from when she was young. In an interview she said "I wrote this song when I was 17 or 18. It’s the oldest song on the record, and I really liked it. It was about when my girlfriend left me for a boy, and I was bitter. I was just like, you always get everything you want. Now, that person is one of my best friends because we were so young when we were together." You Always Get What You Want 7/10.

12. One For Sorrow, Two For Joni Jones - 4m 30s

Inspired by an old nursery rhyme One For Sorrow, this is another song about self identity and the implications of her actions specifically on the ones around her. The lyrics are all about Amber coming to terms with a relationship truly ending, this song clearly means a lot to her as it's "The only song I’ve ever cried during the vocal take which has never happened before." One For Sorrow, Two For Joni Jones 7/10.

Final Thoughts

This album is truly beautiful and is cemented itself in my top 5 of all time. With some amazing collaborations like Matty Healy, George Daniels and Charli XCX it's clear that Amber has a fan base within the industry let alone outside it. Despite all the features, I feel Amber really comes into her own with this album. All the songs sound beautiful and it's meaning is very relatable. In The End It Always Does 8.5/10.