In the End It Always Does
by The Japanese House
Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
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  1. The Independent (UK)
    Jun 30, 2023
    100
    It’s an album that cools and shimmers its way through a delicious range of nuanced moods and subtly layered musical ideas. Delightful.
  2. musicOMH.com
    Jul 10, 2023
    90
    A beautiful album from a talent very much on the rise.
  3. The Line of Best Fit
    Jul 3, 2023
    90
    Where previously The Japanese House has sometimes found itself overwhelmed by production that is a little too misty, In The End It Always Does sounds like Bain stepping into the sun.
  5. DIY Magazine
    Jul 11, 2023
    80
    This album brings innovation just when The Japanese House began to need it, and hopefully points to more creative exploration in the future.
  6. New Musical Express (NME)
    Jun 30, 2023
    80
    If Bain’s lyrics are poised to pull you one way on ‘In The End It Always Does’, her voice and instrumentals yank you back in the other direction – it’s disorientating, dizzying and utterly intoxicating.
  7. Under The Radar
    Jun 30, 2023
    75
    Even if the ending is a forgone conclusion, Bain’s latest record is sharp, poignant, and often beautiful. Each play can reveal rich new details, leaving you free to explore the differing shades of Bain’s latest cycle.
  8. Sputnikmusic
    Jul 3, 2023
    70
    In The End It Always Does is a mixed bag, but I wouldn’t describe it as a minefield; it’s more like a diamond mine and a minefield are engaged in a land dispute. Amber Bain’s ethereal vocals and meticulously crafted melodies make this an album that I certainly recommend checking out, if only for the allure of the stronger tracks that constitute a little over half of the record.
  9. Pitchfork
    Jun 30, 2023
    70
    Bain has crafted her share of evocative ballads, but the ones on In the End tend to zap the momentum. Bain is at her best when she’s embracing a sense of playfulness, winking as subtly as she cries, sashaying between humor and hurt.
  10. Slant Magazine
    Jun 30, 2023
    70
    Initially, the musician’s sophomore effort, In the End It Always Does, seems to follow suit, with a summery ambience, songs about emotional distance, and her unmistakable voice. As the album unfolds, though, her approach feels like it’s been flipped, with vocal hooks taking a backseat to highly textured folktronica instrumentation and a more impressionistic rendering of desire.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 7 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. Lajaleaa
    Aug 1, 2023
    6
    Since her debut album, it has been very difficult for me to find music out of her sounds. I really don't want to be rude, and I truly see theSince her debut album, it has been very difficult for me to find music out of her sounds. I really don't want to be rude, and I truly see the work that all of these tracks carry in them, but It's difficult to find any real attractive in her ballads. Her songs jump in between several moods, with no structure, no challenge, no risks, her sensibility is melodramatic, the energy is careful, the composition exists only in the background of her voice and even if the lyrics are nice, there are few arrangements that give any personality to the music and... over all, I simply can't identify or find melody or any hook on what she is proposing for now. I do wish the best for her, and she shouldn't change the route of her expression, but this might be more about the few potential I find on the genera she is exploring, and with no innovation, I hardly think there is something to find in here.… Full Review »
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