a co-sign from the 1975 certainly helped amplify exposure, but Amber Bain would have snuck into the internet’s collective awareness regardless. her work as the Japanese House thus far is affecting, a haunting palette of minimalist textures wrapped around bain’s penchant for stacking brooding vocals. although her second ep of 2015, Clean, already showcased bain expanding her horizons, Pools to Bathe in feels like definitive Japanese House, from the warped acoustic guitar foundation of the ep’s title track to the chilling narrative of an alter-ego on “sister.” in an era when pristine, layered production is as coveted as ever, the Japanese House serves as an acute example of how to subvert that practice’s outcome and obtain
The Fat Angel Sings 