Secret Meeting score: 85

by Hannah Cobb

Originating from Oregon, Japanese Breakfast is the solo project from Michelle Zauner of band Big Little League, best known for the 2014 song Boyish. And on a somewhat serene Manchester evening, an anticipatory crowd filled the Deaf Institute to welcome Zauner with open arms.

The evening began with an energetic set from Brighton-based four piece, Fear of Men (featuring one time Pains of Pure at Heart member, Jess Weiss), and the two acts complimented each other to present an eclectic blend of dreamy synth tones and passionately delivered lead vocals.

Zauner, accompanied by drums, bass, synth and electric guitar, opened with the shoegaze-inspired fuzz of In Heaven, the first track from her 2016 album, Psychopomp. After swapping instruments throughout, she shifted the atmosphere with the temporary departure of half the band to deliver the ballad-esque Till Death and This House (both of which are taken from last year’s critically acclaimed LP, Soft Sounds From Another Planet). Both brought a sombre quality, which contrasted with the jangly, experimental-pop feel of the majority of the set.

Having cast a spell over a devotedly attentive crowd, Japanese Breakfast re-energised the room and closed with the return of the full band for Everybody Wants to Love You, before exiting after a night of magic that inspired everybody watching to want a little bit more.

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