Hug

The self-titled, largely instrumental album from HUG is the sound of two friendships/creative relationships melding into one. The trio is comprised of Devendra Banhart, Noah Georgeson and Gyan Riley. In the early 2000s, Banhart and Georgeson helped define the burgeoning neo-psychedelic folk movement, and the duo have continued to collaborate across the following decades. Georgeson’s history with Riley (a guitarist who has worked with artists including Paul Simon, John Zorn and his dad, minimalist composer Terry Riley) goes back even further: They grew up together in Nevada City, California, where they bonded as the rural town’s only classical-guitar-obsessed teenagers. Over the years, the three members have earned their reputations as expansive musical explorers, and on HUG, they pull from their bag of references to create a tranquil, vivid experience. “Arunachala” evokes the gentle environmental music of Hiroshi Yoshimura, while “Sarva Mangalam” is an easy-going devotional whose only lyrics alternate between a blessing in Sanskrit and the Spanish words for “condensed milk”. On album closer “Catatumbo”, they create a delightful haze before snapping into clear-eyed focus. Some guys need memes in the group chat and fantasy sports leagues to keep their friendships going into adulthood; for others, as HUG demonstrates, acoustic guitars and New Age wanderings work just as well.