A mythological tale of woe and love, Michelle Zauner’s fourth studio album as lead singer and songwriter of indie pop band Japanese Breakfast, “For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)” evokes a deep and sincere reflection on one’s emotions. Zauner spins tales of romance and sadness, but does not do so inauthentically.
Zauner is an immensely talented artist, and her ability to share her emotions and create authentic autobiographical works — such as her book, “Crying in H Mart” and her previous albums — remains in this project. Her sound is powerful, emotional and stunning. Throughout the whole album, Zauner is capable of storytelling that transcends a simple listening experience.
“Watching you from the yard / Life is sad but here is someone / Someone / Someone / Someone” sings Zauner, joined by a soft array of strings and a tune that carries you into the remainder of the album. It feels tender and kind, yet features an exploration of melancholy and grief that unfolds throughout the music.
To me, this felt like a contrast to 2021’s bright and warm “Jubilee,” and it seems that I was correct in that assumption. In an interview with DIY magazine, Zauner spoke of her grappling with the album’s success and her need to create something different.
“I’ve always been really interested in mythology, especially Greek mythology, because I think it’s really fascinating to have these gods that are not holy, you know, they’re not good people. They’re actually all quite corrupt and powerful…” Zaumer said.
Personally, I was fond of the mythological aspect of the music. I enjoy mythology, and I think that when done well, mythological references can create a stunning narrative.
“She came to him from the water / like Venus from a shell / Singing his name with all the sweetness of a mother / Leaving him breathless and then drowned.”
Venus, the Roman goddess of love (although there is more to her, such as beauty, sex and desire, prosperity and victory) was born from the blood and foam that came from the castration of Uranus, whose detached parts were thrown into the sea.
Love perseveres throughout this album, but in a more unique manner. In “Honey Love” Zauner sings of the lure of honey, referencing colonies to create a metaphor on how the sweetness pulls one in, yet does not always keep them.
I am most fond of the song “Leda,” for it feels most sincere: “Tell me everything / everybody’s fine / I can tell you’re drunk / Wandering somewhere Cretian.” She is referencing the island of Crete, where the person might be lost (or is wandering somewhere adjacent to) and immediately launches into another mythological reference:
“Gordian-like knot / raveled by the days / tried to cut you off / somehow pulled it tighter.” To pause on this briefly (so it doesn’t become a whole Greek Mythology crash course rather than an album review), the tale of the Gordian Knot goes something like this:
In 333 B.C., Macedonian conqueror Alexander the Great marched his army into Gordium, the capital of Phrygia, and upon arrival, encounters a wagon. The yoke was tied with knots so tangled and jumbled that they were almost impossible to untie. In one version of the myth, Alexander the Great, after failing to unravel the knot, simply sliced it in half, claiming, “It makes no difference how they are loosed.”
Point is: when the “Gordian knot” is referenced, it is typically referring to a complex or unsolvable problem, which in this case, appears to be love. It tells us that the relationship is complicated and not one that can be navigated through simply, if at all. The song continues to tie in the mythological references Zauner mentioned in the DIY magazine interview.
“I’m thinking of all the Grecian gods / the men they all played to get what they want.” She sings of greed, power and the truth that lies behind many of the myths you hear today. The mortals were simply pawns, and their lives were played with almost as if they were nothing at all.
The remainder of the album is equally striking. Grief is immense, melancholy is immeasurable and yet Zauner manages to produce songwriting bursting with emotions; everything is broken down with her ethereal voice and lyrics. I think this album was strong, and her ability to pull you in leaves you breathless and ready for more.
Rating: 4.5/5