Hitsujibungaku
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somewhere just after Jujutsu Kaisen crashed into everyone’s life, particularly with the second season ED “more than words” by Hitsujibungaku (Hitsuji), our hope definitely cratered into the collective human notice. while “more than words” singled off their later album 12 hugs (like butterflies), i think our hope was their proving ground. the album definitely exists in that space of youth and discovery and long wandering thoughts. a genre and a stance taken time and again by generation after the next, i find it incredibly wonderful that our hope manages to not only maintain its own identity, but maybe even nudge the culture forward a bit.
across the album is a very shoegaze approach to rock, plenty of reverb and echoing electric guitar strings over downtempo beats. the album never gets ahead of itself but comfortably sits down and takes time to work through each piece. the best thing about the album is how it manages to maintain a steady and plodding pace without ever feeling dull or repetitive. it feels like each point of the album is correctly chosen and accounted for, leaving just about each and every song a necessary part of the whole. when i think of quintessential Hitsuji, this is the album i think of. and when i think of some of my favorite new rock music coming out of Japan (or the world) this decade, i certainly have Hitsujibungaku at the forefront of my mind.
that’s not to say the album is a perfect creation. it wasn’t until visiting Don’t Laugh It Off this year that i came to understand Hitsuji’s still-developing and improving sound. its consistency is both its greatest unifier and also its primary detractor. the album remains locked at a certain gear and never builds a powerful enough contrast to push its boundary to a higher, more compelling statement. which is okay, of course. i’m not here to find the groundbreaking album of the decade or a lifetime. i think the album itself is a clear accomplishment.
there are a handful of songs that i find do punch further and harder than the rest, however. “Kudaranai” feels like the emotional core of the album. it has all the verve and emotional bandwidth of the experience contained in one track. the speed it slowly gains over the runtime has an addictive quality as Moeka Shiotsuka slides in a few “ooh ooooh”s to help glide the song forward. especially her vocals gently hitting the high range can sometimes make my heart skip a beat. there is an understated and prescient beauty in her performance that is only accentuated by the fact that it feels so natural.
“Mayoiga” is arguably the best song of the album. the guitar opens up slowly before slowly churning out subtle hints of electricity as the beat and the lyrics kick into effect. the rise in energy over the song is a defining point of the album and the band. Hitsuji shows modesty in restraint but are never afraid to push the music more and more. by the time the song comes crashing down, midpoint, it feels like a major upheaval. everything just falls apart, but in a way that feels appropriately healing. a healing fueled by hope. our hope doesn’t just name itself this, but most definitely embodies the internal value that hope can help grow. the song’s final blowout is complete, not by going further than before, which it does, but by finally restraining everything back in. it defines the emotional range and maturity the band relies on.
“OOPARTS” was a surprise song for me. the song lingers in a fuzzy state for nearly a minute before deciding to unfurl. it takes well into the second minute before the band takes proper reins over the track. another example of restraint that is chosen and how it resolves into emotional release. for me, i find this kind of approach to music to be some of the most satisfying. nothing is too rushed or eager to find the point that will eventually come. i think this is the central thesis of the album. perhaps to how Hitsuji, the band, approach their life as well. a deterministic outlook that is built on biding time for the proper emotions to come as they may and go as they will. a mature take.
there is so much to explore throughout the album. for all the words i’ve leveraged on the band in this review, i think we can boil it down to a simple statement. i really like this band.
Hitsujibungaku has an approach to music in much the way i have an approach to life. or maybe i’m just appropriating their music to fit my own framing... well, that’s something for my therapist to handle. for now i’ll say that our hope is the main display for the group and a great starting point for any new listener to the scene. Hitsuji locks in on an emotional aspect and both regulates and releases as needed, but never too much. the control and intelligence they display with their music is definitely captivating to me. hopefully it can be for you too.
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Highlights
Kudaranai 「くだらない」
Hikaru Toki 「光るとき」
OOPARTS
Mayoiga 「マヨイガ」
Tracklist
hopi
Hikaru Toki 「光るとき」
Party wa Sugu Soko 「パーティーはすぐそこ」
Denpa no Machi 「電波の街」
Kiniro 「金色」
Lucky 「ラッキー」
Kudaranai 「くだらない」
Carol 「キャロル」
Wonder 「ワンダー」
OOPARTS
Mayoiga 「マヨイガ」
Yokan 「予感」
