Featured image and gallery: Georgina Hurdsfield
The Japanese House, aka. Amber Bain, graces the stage of Manchester’s very own Albert Hall for the final night of her UK tour. Following the release of her sophomore album In the End It Always Does in June last year, The Japanese House has toured relentlessly. Her UK headline tour last October for the release of the album was followed by a support slot on The 1975’s UK Tour earlier this year. Now, The Japanese House is back out on a further headline run to give fans another opportunity to hear her new songs live.
Opening the set with ‘Touching Yourself’, the track shows a likeable honesty matching its lavish pop-rock sound, while the catchy lyrics resonate with the crowd as they sing and bop along.
Bain’s enchanting vocals come to life in ‘Sad to Breathe’, outshining the crafted brilliance of the studio recording of In the End It Always Does. The Japanese House intertwines elements of the past and present through material like ‘Follow My Girl’, ‘Baby goes again’ and ‘You Seemed So Happy’.
The Japanese House’s performance is stunning, completely captivating the audience. The crowd attentively listens and sings along, with very little talking, even on the slower numbers – this is undoubtedly a rarity in live music these days. With a set already filled with standout moments, it feels full circle to hear Bain perform her first single ‘Still’, which was later included on EP Pools to Bathe In.
After a brief interlude, The Japanese House performs the final two songs of the night. This includes unreleased track ‘Smiley Face’, an exciting surprise for many, bringing hope of further new music. She ends on fan-favourite ‘Sunshine Baby’, bringing nostalgic memories of summer 2023 into the Albert Hall.
Amber Bain is leading a new generation of indie-pop and set for big things. The Japanese House can be seen headlining the Festival Republic stage at Leeds Festival this August.
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