NEW : Landmark [album] by Hippo Campus

[image from: source]

Growing up isn't easy, and Hippo Campus know it. The band may be just a few years out of high school, but they've got a lot of stories to tell. After forming in 2013, and releasing two successful EPs, Bashful Creatures and South in 2015, the February 24th release of the band's debut record, Landmark, was highly anticipated.

Hippo Campus' first EPs were completely inspired by their high school ambitions, while their debut album was the first project they had a lot of time to work on. Appropriately named, this album is the very definition of a landmark event for the band, marking a more mature, refined sound. Hippo Campus' original style was very authentic, capturing the feeling of live music, with a reckless charm. Landmark stays true to the Minnesota quartet's original, buoyantly guitar-driven style, while demonstrating growth in both sound and lyrics. 

Hippo Campus (Whistler Allen [drums, vocals],
Jake Luppen [vocals, guitar], Zach Sutton [bass],
Nathan Stocker [guitar, vocals]). [image from: source]

I've always been an advocate for listening to albums in order, and ones like Landmark are the reason why. The album is introduced by the peaceful "Sun Veins", which at just over a minute in length, features electronically numbed vocals, as well as a smooth transition directly into the next song, "Way It Goes". This song has heavy focus on the vocals, while solid percussion fits in between the laid-back slide guitar. The next song, "Vines", is one of my personal favourites on the album. Bursting into colourful guitar work and wittily placed harmonies, the song feels like an upgraded version of the candid festival indie from the band's earlier days. Songs like "Simple Season" and "Western Kids" are right along the vein of "Vines", featuring guitar lines that mimic the sing-along vocals, while slower songs like "Epitaph" and "Monsoon" add the texture that every great album must have. "Poems" has the best of both worlds, staring off with quiet emotion, yet developing into gritty guitar and bass. "Boyish" is a brassy, upbeat hit, and its continuation into "Interlude" is unbelievable. Overall, the sunny optimism of Hippo Campus' first two EPs is upheld, while the band adventures into a more deep, complex sound.

Both in sound and in lyrics, Landmark sums up what it's like to be on the edge of life, with one foot in adolescence, and the other in adulthood. Clever lyrics have always been typical of Hippo Campus, but in their debut LP, they hold a more profound meaning. "Boyish" obviously explores youth, with lines like "Never really knew if I did something wrong / All I ever heard was it wasn't my fault / But what good is truth if you don't understand?" acting as a critical analysis of childhood, masked by a disguise of innocence. Meanwhile, "Vines" recounts relatable angsty teenage adventures, "Screaming about our feelings / Running through the cold air / Searching for a meaning". Hippo Campus then does some quick growing up on "Monsoon", as they cope with the death of a loved one, sorrowful about how "It should have been me". The final track on the album, "Buttercup", portrays a yearning for independence and a search for the strength to fight internal battles, repeating a chorus of "I'll be fine on my own". This eclectic mix of ideas truly does define what it's like to be a young adult, clinging to the safety of the youthfulness you know, while hungering for the newness of independent life.

Hippo Campus have come a long way since their art school days, and it shows. Their initial, spirited style has not died away, but rather been augmented by experience. A truly beautiful debut, Landmark will definitely stand as a contender for the best release of the year.

Find Landmark by Hippo Campus on Apple Music and Spotify, and watch this outstanding live performance of the whole album for Minnesota radio station, The Current.