Japanese Breakfast ‘Boyish’

It’s election day, and as soon as I have finished writing this blog post, I am going straight to the polling station to vote – which is why I am going to keep it brief. I just want to urge all of you to use your vote, even if you remain unconvinced by any party – spoiling your ballot paper after all, is a statement in itself. However, you shouldn’t have to do this, because today we have a choice to end the suffering of austerity, to stop the privatisation of the NHS, and to stop people working in the public sector from having to use food banks to feed their families. Statistics released by the Department for Work and Pensions last year revealed that  between 2011 and 2014, 2380 people died within weeks of being declared ‘fit for work’. The Tory government has blood on its hands, and a vote for them today is a vote for five more years of hardship, cuts, and deaths. A vote for Labour however, is a vote for more taxes for the very rich and more help for those who are struggling, and increased spending on public services, including the NHS, education, the arts, and the emergency services. It’s a bit of a no brainer really. Anyway, on my way to the polling station today I will be listening ‘Boyish‘, the latest release from experimental pop songwriter Japanese Breakfast, AKA Michelle Zauner of Little Big League fame. Swathed in soaring string flourishes and dreamy reverb, the track is reminiscent of sixties ballads, with dramatic instrumentation and backing vocals providing a moving cushion for Zauner’s stirring vocal. Rousing and cinematic, the only possible response to this track is to surrender yourself completely and ride on the wave of sixties drama – perfect for easing those election day nerves. Enjoy (and go vote).