Don’t Laugh It Off
Hitsujibungaku
genre: pop/ rock • release date: 2025
8.7
Hitsujibungaku, a female rock duo, has been on the rise from indie obscurity into a well-earned spotlight. so far, they have no intention of losing what has made their sound so special. at the heart of the album, are two women expressing their views of what rock should be in the world today. not just by Japanese standards, and not just from American influence, but into something altogether new, something important. Don’t Laugh it Off explores and elevates their identity in mostly positive ways. while the album feels more like a half step forward, but it is still a step in the right direction. a direction that opens them up to a universal audience with growing attention year after year. one that finds right balance for this universal ear.
Don’t Laugh it Off manages to push Hitsuji’s sound into a more western style blurring the lines between both music and the countries they are from. the more more i listen to Hitsuji, the more i am reminded of music from my own corner of the world. in a way that excites me. i feel a distinct heritage of California-based shoegaze indie rock from Don’t Laugh it Off, a sound that is bound to boost the band’s popularity even further in the United States. the music still sounds very Japanese in a way i’m familiar, both in the poetic lyricism and the composition of the music. but i wonder if it’s them beginning to sound more American that makes their sound so popular in Japan today. a fascination that informs stylistic choices, a fundamental shift in music sensibilities. Don’t Laugh it Off takes another step in this direction, thankfully still keeping their original feel. Hitsuji has always felt introspective, emotive, emotionally keen and youthful to me. when i listen to Hitsuji’s work, i feel the efforts of both members, Moeka Shiotsuka and Yurika Kasai, coming through. it feels incredibly personal. incredibly powerful.
the first track “Sono Toki (そのとき)”, effectively sets the tone for the rest of the album. a reflection of thought and feeling discovered in the twilight hours. something felt, something building. as the timid song finds its footing, it sets forth in full spirit. the halfway point exposes the full sound of the band. guitar feedback leads into an all encompassing sound that transforms these feelings from reflective to robust. Hitsuji are not just just a poetic indie group anymore, they are a force. “Sono Toki (そのとき)” expresses just how the band has grown.
“Itōshii Hibi (いとおしい日々)” feels like a calculated next step for the album. past making a statement, the girls clearly just want to make music that they love to make. that shows clearly through this song. it opens up from the intense feeling of the first track, Moeka taking the lead in her vocals. they sound wonderfully excited and carefree, making the album feel like a victory lap, rather than an obligation. the prodcution is simple, but it sincere emotion that lifts the music past anything standard.
“Feel” takes the song into a more western style of sound. it almost feels like 90s punk/ alternative rock. the girls begin to show what Don’t Laugh it Off is meant to be. a sound that pulls from more than one influence. “Haru no Arashi (春の嵐)” continues this blend, introducing shoegaze rock. the song explores a back and forth between introspective lyrics and the momentum held by electric guitar. the pair oppose each other before reaching unison in the second half. the song feels rooted in Hitsuji’s more traditional style in a way that grounds the album.
“cure” is a vulnerable song, driving closer to the heart of the album. and even though it starts small, a steady build in complexity and aimplification over the runtime, it never loses itself. the driving power behind the song only reinforces the emotional core of the song.
“Burning” takes a chance to crush out the speakers with an aggresive guitar riff. the song builds off a pressure that feels earned by the end of album. a cathartic release after the deep internal exploration over the course of the work before this. “Burning” balances intense playing, with shimmering lyrical deliveries. the intensity built over the coarse of the album, finding recognition by the end. Hitsuji embraces the building strength found throughout the album.
Don’t Laugh it Off strikes a balance in sincereity and resiliance. throughout the vocals are the line into album’s vulnerablity while the instruments take up the role of strength. yet over the course of the album, this notion is subverted. the vocals take charge while the instruments take on the emotional weight. each one there to assist the other in expression. it’s music that is honest at its core, resounding outward with earned fortitude. Don’t Laugh it Off is a small indie band moving in to maturity. with a strong identity in their own sound, they take on more and more of a western influence, not diluting their heritage, but emboldening it to something new. in the process they have keenly retained the heart of their sound and expression. it comes at the right time. it seems the world is finally ready to accept this new step in music.
written by
Marcus Landeros
- highlights -
Sono Toki (そのとき)
Itōshii Hibi (いとおしい日々)
Koe (声)
Haru no Arashi (春の嵐)
cure
tears
Runner (ランナー)
Burning
track list:
Sono Toki (そのとき)
Itōshii Hibi (いとおしい日々)
Feel
Doll
Koe (声)
Haru no Arashi (春の嵐)
Ai ni Tsuite (愛について)
cure
tears
Runner (ランナー)
Mirai Chizu 2025 (未来地図2025)
Burning
don't laugh it off anymore
