Hippo Campus (the band's name is a play on the region of the brain in charge of memory) is a four-man indie pop-rock band founded in Minnesota in 2013. With the release of their debut EP Bashful Creatures, the youthful quartet (none of them are old enough to buy alcohol) - guitarist and vocalist Jake Luppen, guitarist Nathan Stocker, bassist Zach Sutton and drummer Whistler Allen - deliver unexpectedly complex, emotionally intelligent and well-produced songs to the indie scene. While Hippo Campus' sound has been compared to Vampire Weekend, "Suicide Saturday" reminds me more of Foster the People's "Pumped up Kicks" by virtue of its ability to present a convincing sonic portrait of adolescent promise and peril.
Their motto - “Never let anyone dull your sparkle" - and admission that “We’re poor, fun-lovin’ fellas that just want to have a blast" (PASTE, 2015) comes across beautifully in the exuberant 'oh oh oh’s' and hyper-energetic guitar riffs that abound in their lead single "Suicide Saturday" - but there's a dreamy sadness that underscores this catchy tune. Most listeners may be too captivated by the glorious chorus to pay attention to the dark subject matter portrayed in the song's verses:
“[Suicide Saturday] was sorta birthed from this idea of finding a balance with society and with yourself. Having to commit a social suicide, in a sense, in order to regain composure with being who you are and maintaining a healthy relationship with yourself” -Nathan speaking with Huw Stephens on the Maida Vale session on BBC Radio 1 (20 July 2015, quoted from Genius)
As The Current's Andrea Swesson notes, the charming appeal of Hippo Campus comes down to the effective juxtaposition between Luppen's dynamic vocals and Stocker's clear, precise and well-timed guitar playing:
"Jake Luppen's youthful, glycerin voice, which he pushes through little loop-di-loops, swoops, and yelps with such ease that it almost comes off as arrogant--there is a sense that these summertime melodies are just the tip of the popsicle in terms of his complex capabilities. The second defining element is lead guitarist Nathan Stocker's crystalline, crisp, and nimble playing, which serves as a foil to Luppen's voice by echoing his melodies and then cascading into arpeggiated counterpoints."
While "Suicide Saturday" is my favourite Hippo Campus track so far, their other offerings are all similarly worthy of admiration and a newfound belief in the sheer promise of youth: "Little Grace", "South", "Violet" and "Souls". With a debut this promising, I can hardly wait for the release of their sophomore album.
