''Clean'' is the second

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

by English

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and su ...

act The Japanese House, released on 6 November 2015 through

Dirty Hit Dirty Hit is a British independent record label founded in December 2009 by Jamie Oborne, Brian Smith, and former England footballer, Ugo Ehiogu. It is currently based in West London, England. Their releases are distributed to digital platforms ...

. It is the second EP released, following their debut EP, '' Pools to Bathe In'', released seven months prior Once again, all four songs from the EP were released as singles ahead of its release. Upon release, it received positive reviews from critics.

Background

After the release of the electronica-based debut EP '' Pools to Bathe In'', The Japanese House started to receive recognition for the experimental and organic composition of their music. Five months after its release, multi-instrumentalist and primary member Amber Bain premiered the title track on

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

with

Zane Lowe Alexander Zane Reid Lowe (born 7 August 1973) is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter. After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence thro ...

, being the second song in Bain's discography to premiere after "Still" from her debut EP. She also announced the EP after its premiere. The release of a second EP in 2015 — ''Clean —''would mark of series of EPs that The Japanese House would release annually up into 2017, starting with ''Pools to Bathe In'' and continuing with ''Swim Against the Tide'' and ''Saw You in a Dream''.

Promotion

The EP's title track premiered on

on 7 September 2015 and was released subsequently as the

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

that day. "Cool Blue", as the second single, was released on 15 September. "Letter By The Water" was released on 27 October, before "Sugar Pill" was released three days before the EP.

Musical style

The EP has been described as

, electronica and

experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when a ...

. It was also noted for its diversity, often contrasting the production of ''Pools to Bathe In''.

Reception

''Clean'' received positive reviews from critics, who praised the musical direction of the EP and often noted Bain's vocal performance. Jamie Milton, reviewing for ''

DIY "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...

'', stated that "it’s still small steps for Amber Bain, but as The Japanese House, she’s bit-by-bit establishing herself as a pop force like no other." Praising the EP's themes and composition, ''Fortitude'' concluded that "each listen unveiling a new worn edge hidden in the spaces between Bain’s lyrics and the music’s richly produced landscapes." Sasha Geffen of ''

Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...

'' remarked that "the songwriting and its packaging reinforce each other", all the while positively concluding that "Bain might not yet have built enough of a platform to support the weight of her project’s nascent popularity, but ''Clean'' at least proves that she’s got the resources necessary to carry that spark of curiosity over into real fandom."

Track listing

References

{{The Japanese House 2015 EPs The Japanese House albums