It Hug Back’s new album, Recommended Record, is nothing but a dream. A happy, summer-inspired dream with roaring rhythms and soft-spoken vocals that whispers to you in the back of your head. The British band comprised of Matthew Simms (vocals/guitar), Paul Michael (bass), Jack Theedom (keyboards) and Will Blackaby (drums) don’t stray far from their previous sound of focusing on the instrumentals and production. The vocals are nothing spectacular as they clash with the loudness of the album, but maybe that’s the point.
It’s as if the album is one big song, at first, with each song building up to a bridge or chorus. “Sa Sa Sa Sails” sets of the summery vibe with a bright mixture of chugging guitars and slamming of piano keys while the vocals take a rest. The sound is continued in “Go Magic!,” full of upbeat piano rhythms and shredding guitars. It’s a song that builds its pace only to slow with the thumping of the bass drum.
The vocals can actually be deciphered in “Sometimes” as Simms sings, “Sometimes it happens / Sometimes it goes.” That’s the whole feel of the album. Things happen, and they do not have to be explained like the dreamy electronic mash of sounds with light and whimsical vocals heard in “Big Sighs” and “Teenage Hands.” But the casualness is never too casual: rebellious guitar shreds and drum thuds are present in almost every song. The band combines the two effortlessly and seamlessly.
“Piano Drone” is a spectacle. The instrumental, void of vocals, has a fast rhythm with a beautiful slowly playing piano melody, which is the focus of the song. With an incessant drum rhythm, the song is one giant, five-minute build-up.
In “Waiting Room,” an acoustic guitar is heard for the first time, but it doesn’t throw off any of the sound. It’s a pleasant, unexpected sound as the usual production of the album is held off. Simms sing, “It’s not going anywhere, any day soon,” over relaxing electronic noises and organ swells that build to a chorus full of everything offered in previous songs: plenty of fast guitar and drum rhythms.
The song with the same title of the album, “Recommended Record”, ties up the end of the album. It’s loud and riotous, almost like a 90s anthem.
From start to finish, there is a correlation with sound, but it’s not too close to sounding the same with every song. The beginning of the album is much different from the end. It Hugs Back takes you through the good times and bad times with surprising detours.
You can stream the album below.