Japanese Breakfast: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
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- Опубліковано 31 жов 2017
- Oct. 25, 2017 | Marissa Lorusso -- As Japanese Breakfast, Michelle Zauner writes sparkling, opulent dream pop about grief and love (and, occasionally, robots). After releasing its debut album, Psychopomp last year, the band returned with this year's stunning Soft Sounds From Another Planet. Where Psychopomp, written in the immediate aftermath of the death of Zauner's mother, zeroed in on the experience of Zauner's grief, Soft Sounds widens her aperture, featuring paeans to her coping mechanisms, ruminations on crooked relationship dynamics and said sci-fi robot fantasy.
At its Tiny Desk concert, the band swapped out Soft Sound's gauzy, astral synths for acoustic guitar and piano, and was joined by members of Washington, D.C. string quartet Rogue Collective. Zauner had wanted to do something special for the performance, and was tipped off by Landlady's Adam Schatz that the Rogue Collective make pretty great Tiny Desk partners. The Collective practiced with Japanese Breakfast the day before the Tiny Desk, and was a featured guest later that night at the band's D.C. show.
The adaptation highlighted Zauner's strength as a songwriter, providing an even more direct line into the raw emotion at the heart of her songs. The string swells during "Boyish" lent gravity to the song's bittersweet desperation. During "Till Death," her ode to marriage, Zauner sang - as she often does - in a way that strains her voice to the crackling, taut edge of heartbreak. It's arresting on any stage, but particularly powerful in the stark midday light of NPR Music's office.
For its final song at the Tiny Desk, Japanese Breakfast performed "This House." Gone was the Rogue Collective, and indeed much of the band - just Zauner and pianist Craig Hendrix remained. The song describes moments in love that are more fearful labor than bliss, the hazy space where commitment, confusion and longing intersect. Like much of Japanese Breakfast's music, the performance shows Zauner looking unblinkingly at fear and pain, daring us to do the same.
Set List
"Boyish"
"Till Death"
"This House"
MUSICIANS
Michelle Zauner; Deven Craige, Craig Hendrix; Peter Bradley; Alexa Cantalupo; Kaitlin Moreno; Natalie Spehar
CREDITS
Creative Director: Bob Boilen; Producers: Bob Boilen, Morgan Noelle Smith; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Morgan Noelle Smith, Niki Walker, Bronson Arcuri, Colin Marshall; Photo: Christina Ascani/NPR
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Saw them live, the whole band was amazing. Some dude yelled from the audience if Michelle wanted wings and she said yes, so he climbed on stage and they ate chicken wings on stage together lol
She has the perfect amount of imperfection in her voice. Absolutely beautiful.
PSA: She's Korean
the way they look at each other when they say “marriage” for the “till death” makes me cry after learning the circumstances of their wedding
What I don't understand is how anyone can describe this music as being 'boring'. It's so special, with Michelle's voice being so special and fragile, while in till death, there is the beautiful blending of sounds from all the violins, the piano and guitars. Till Death is probably my favourite song, feeling like a strange and vivid dream, filled with memories lost from long ago. Absolutely beautiful.
I love Japanese Breakfast, Boyish is one of the best ballads if heard, sounds like it’s made during the Elvis era, gorgeous
Who else is here after reading her freaking amazing book :p
I love how she's married to one of her bandmates and they play a song about marriage <3
"Genetic disease" never sounded so good.
The book she just released is soooo good.
Tiny desk concerts changed my life
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Personally I think she's my artist of the year. Soft sounds from another planet is incredible from front to back.
Searched for a Japanese breakfast NPR 2 days ago, disappointed to find one didn't exist. What a roller coaster.
this house is probably one of my favorite song this year.
Till Death is my favorite song of 2017. Many songs represented the grand scheme of things and the state of the world from individual to a general perspective. This song does the contrary by giving a context of the world as it is to paint the scenario and then it moves to the love between two people.
So glad Japanese Breakfast gets an NPR Tiny Desk Concert! I saw this group perform at the Neurolux in Boise, Idaho, about a month ago, and I bought both cd's and have really enjoyed listening. Michelle Zauner is a very interesting songwriter, and there is something so compelling, honest, and pure about her singing. Anything that helps promote the interesting musicians who are currently ignored by big record producers is most welcome! I have made many wonderful discoveries on Tiny Desk. Thank you NPR and the many, many talented people who get a chance to reach a wider audience.
The way she sings is so sincere and makes my heart ache. So beautiful.
till death makes me sad in a way I can't ex[plain.