2.5/5
It Hugs Back are those kids who hang out on the street corner, thumbs through belt loops and Converse shoestrings untied ‘mdash; probably not the most enlightened, but they’ll share a 7-Eleven Slurpee with you and kick the dust ’til break is over. The Londoners recall Wilco’s laconic simplicity like a smoothed out Dinosaur Jr. on latest single ‘Work Day,’ their throaty, dreamily subdued take on common-man pop: ‘Stop the worry, it’ll be alright/ It’s a work day.’ As buttery whispers hush behind Tinkerbell synthplay and gently rolling strums, Hugs don’t convince us that February debut Inside Your Guitar will find any converts to their fuzzy mantra ‘mdash; but, at the very least, the teddy-bear naivete might warm our midwinter sleep.