Soft Sounds from Another Planet

Soft Sounds from Another Planet is the second studio album by American indie project Japanese Breakfast. The album was released on July 14, 2017 through Dead Oceans.[3]

Soft Sounds from Another Planet
Studio album by Japanese Breakfast
Released	July 14, 2017
Recorded	2016
Genre	Dream pop, indie rock
Length	37:10
Label	Dead Oceans
Producer	Craig Hendrix Michelle Zauner
Japanese Breakfast chronology
Psychopomp (2016) Soft Sounds from Another Planet (2017)
Singles from Soft Sounds from Another Planet
"Machinist" Released: May 4, 2017[1] "Boyish" Released: June 7, 2017[2]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	7.8/10[4]
Metacritic	83/100[5]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[6]
The A.V. Club	A−[7]
Consequence of Sound	B+[8]
Drowned in Sound	8/10[9]
Exclaim!	7/10[10]
The Guardian	[11]
Pitchfork	8.0/10[12]
PopMatters	8/10[13]
Q	[14]
Uncut	8/10[15]

Soft Sounds from Another Planet received a weighted score of 83 out of 100 from review aggregate website Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim", based on 20 reviews from music critics.[5] Nathan Reese of Pitchfork noted, "Inspired by the cosmos, Japanese Breakfast's Michelle Zauner addresses life on Earth. Her voice shines over melancholic arrangements, evoking Pacific Northwest indie rock as much as shoegaze."[12] Tim Sendra of AllMusic writes the album is "Much slicker and less wonky (than Psychopomp), the songs have a spacious, expansive sound that envelops the listener in warmth (even when the synths get a little chilly.)"[6] Brian Shultz of The A.V. Club said, "And while everything on Japanese Breakfast's proper sophomore effort isn't entirely fresh, and its structure is somewhat loose, there's a confidence and crispness to Soft Sounds that shows just how fully realized Zauner's formerly homemade experiments have become."[7] Exclaim!'s Ian Gormely wrote, "In trying to put a wall between herself and her audience, she's opened a new, far more revealing side to her music and herself."[10]

Accolades

Publication	Accolade	Rank	Ref.
Under the Radar	The 100 Best Albums of 2017	10	[16]
Uproxx	The 50 Best Albums of 2017	15	[17]
Stereogum	The 50 Best Albums of 2017	17	[18]
Paste	The 50 Best Albums of 2017	37	[19]
Rolling Stone	The 50 Best Albums of 2017	39	[20]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Michelle Zauner.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Diving Woman"	6:32
2.	"Road Head"	3:15
3.	"Machinist"	3:37
4.	"Planetary Ambience"	1:17
5.	"Soft Sounds from Another Planet"	3:20
6.	"Boyish"	3:33
7.	"12 Steps"	2:36
8.	"Jimmy Fallon Big!"	2:35
9.	"The Body Is a Blade"	3:40
10.	"Till Death"	2:57
11.	"This House"	3:02
12.	"Here Come the Tubular Bells"	0:40
Total length:		37:10

Personnel

Adapted from AllMusic.[21]

• David Bartler – saxophone
• Asher Brooks – trumpet
• Jorge Elbrecht – mixing
• David Hartley – engineer
• Craig Hendrix – engineer, producer
• Michael Johnson – engineer
• Heba Kadry – mastering
• Craig Scheihing – photography
• Todd Schied – engineer
• Nathaniel David Utesch – design
• Michelle Zauner – vocals, guitars, producer

Charts

Chart (2017)	Peak position
New Zealand Heatseekers Albums (RMNZ)[22]	9
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[23]	9
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[24]	18

References

1. caroline (May 4, 2017). "Japanese Breakfast Announces New Album, 'Soft Sounds From Another Planet', Out July 14th". Dead Oceans. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
2. caroline (June 7, 2017). "Japanese Breakfast Releases "Boyish," On Tour Now". Dead Oceans. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
3. "Soft Sounds From Another Planet, by Japanese Breakfast". Japanese Breakfast. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
4. "Soft Sounds From Another Planet by Japanese Breakfast reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
5. "Reviews and Tracks for Soft Sounds From Another Planet by Japanese Breakfast". Metacritic. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
6. Sendra, Tim. "Soft Sounds from Another Planet – Japanese Breakfast". AllMusic. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
7. Shultz, Brian (July 14, 2017). "Japanese Breakfast masks internal strife and insecurities with artfully upbeat experiments". The A.V. Club. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
8. Nelson, Geoff (July 5, 2017). "Japanese Breakfast – Soft Sounds from Another Planet". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
9. Peirson-Hagger, Ellen (July 17, 2017). "Album Review: Japanese Breakfast – Soft Sounds from Another Planet". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
10. Gormely, Ian (July 14, 2017). "Japanese Breakfast: Soft Sounds from Another Planet". Exclaim!. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
11. Simpson, Dave (July 13, 2017). "Japanese Breakfast: Soft Sounds from Another Planet review – dreamlike and existential". The Guardian. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
12. Reese, Nathan (July 14, 2017). "Japanese Breakfast: Soft Sounds From Another Planet". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
13. Smith, Tanner (July 20, 2017). "Japanese Breakfast: Soft Sounds From Another Planet". PopMatters. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
14. Solomon, Kate (September 2017). "Japanese Breakfast: Soft Sounds from Another Planet". Q (376): 110.
15. Watts, Peter (August 2017). "Japanese Breakfast: Soft Sounds from Another Planet". Uncut (243): 32.
16. Under the Radar Staff (December 4, 2017). "The 100 Best Albums of 2017". Under the Radar. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
17. Uproxx Staff (December 4, 2017). "The 50 Best Albums of 2017". Uproxx. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
18. Stereogum Staff (December 5, 2017). "The 50 Best Albums of 2017". Stereogum. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
19. Paste Magazine Staff (November 27, 2017). "The 50 Best Albums of 2017". Paste Magazine. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
20. Rolling Stone Staff (November 27, 2017). "The 50 Best Albums of 2017". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
21. "Soft Sounds from Another Planet – Japanese Breakfast (Credits)". AllMusic. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
22. "NZ Heatseekers Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. July 24, 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
23. "Japanese Breakfast Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
24. "Japanese Breakfast Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 17, 2018.