<\/a><\/p>\n

Southwark\u2019s been knocking it out of the park lately with a glut of pearly pop-loving jams and London-based quartet Hugh is continuing the trend with their debut EP I Can\u2019t Figure You Out. <\/em>Filled with enchanting, sugar-sweet tunes that drip with wistful sentiment and lush textures, the EP presents a group that holds out hope for a more romantic tomorrow.<\/p>\n

Quietly catchy with a distinct lounge-y undertone, \u00a0it’s an EP that da-dums and hums through a field of kaleidoscopic synths. And\u00a0I Can\u2019t Figure You Out<\/em> is\u00a0filled with pleas like \u201cdarling, don\u2019t toy with me\u201d and \u201ccareful with my heart,\u201d weaving in and out between mechanical clicks and burbling synthlines that tease and toy with your heartstrings.\u00a0From the positive affirmation-filled \u201cCharlie\u201d to the bedroom eyes-ready \u201cI Can Be Your Light,\u201d it\u2019s always sweet, but never saccharine. With enough acidity in the form of off-kilter melodies and Izzy Brooks\u2019s strangely sensual croon, it refrains from getting too fluffy or cutesy, instead choosing to swoon in a smoky dream world that\u2019s not completely candy-colored.<\/p>\n

The only part of the release that feels corny is the forced pseudo-rap on \u201cNot Fair Too Far.\u201d Paired with Brooks\u2019s awkward vocal melody and an oddly-constructed synthline, it sounds like the accidental \u201cexperimental\u201d track on an album that\u2019s otherwise filled with excellent lounge-pop.<\/p>\n

One small misstep is acceptable though, as there\u2019s something incredibly alluring about I Can\u2019t Figure You Out<\/em> as a whole. Speaking with an acute sense of innocence and a hint of the kind of regret that just compels you to do better, it\u2019s a gorgeous pop-tinged gem that provides the perfect soundtrack for all of your desirous daydreams.<\/p>\n