Hailing from the tundra that is Minnesota, Hippo Campus have been making indie-pop waves since their formation in 2013. The baby-faced quartet gained some serious traction back in 2016 on KEXP and hit the ground running on the festival circuit, even opening for Sylvan Esso in 2018. They’re all grown up now, though, and have embraced a more mature sound to match. As proof, their latest album includes richer and more textured production while incorporating more folk, electronic, and even jazz influences.
With five EPs, three prior studio albums, and two demo collections under their belts, Hippo Campus’s latest is a testament to the band’s growth as musicians and their ability to create music that’s both approachable and refined. And while we’re almost contractually obligated to engage with the album based on its title alone, it’s nice that Flood has proven praiseworthy regardless. “All we can hope for is that our musical evolutions reflect our personal evolutions,” the band’s Nathan Stocker explains. “We’ve all done a bit of growing up and come to grips with harsh realities, and through that growth, we’ve embraced the beauty found on the other side.”
Led by falsetto extraordinaire Jake Luppen, the band (which also includes Zach Sutton and Whistler Isaiah Allen) delights listeners with their infectious melodies, energetic performances, and nuanced songwriting. The space the band occupies is situated snuggly between Bon Iver and Local Natives with a touch more angst—it’s melodic, emotionally resonant indie rock that’s easy on the ears. Flood is a neutral progression of this aesthetic, balancing sentimental moments with introspective lyrics and complex musical arrangements. “The whole process was challenging in that we wrote over 100 songs and ended up narrowing all that down to just 13,” Stocker adds.
Of the gems we’re left with, some of my favorites include the catchy bop “Tooth Fairy,” which hooked me with its nod to the belovedly brash Peaches. “Got a new pair of shoes and a fear of the dead / Too slow, let’s go, get me out of my head,” goes one standout lyric. Elsewhere, “Madman” is an upbeat ditty about falling fast, making mistakes, and continuing anyway. It climaxes during the chorus with the simple yet effective line, “Gonna jump your bones like a madman.” “Corduroy” is also a track I—a sucker for harmonica—find myself returning to.
With the LP out now via Sylvan Esso’s Psychic Hotline label, we had the group take us track by track through these 13 songs to give us a better sense of their origins. The result may be more cryptic than informative, but hey, who said we had all the answers?
1. “Prayer Man”
In desperate need of anything, gimme a sign, the isolation is killing me.
2. “Paranoid”
Asking the questions out loud, can’t tell the difference between sane and insane.
3. “Fences”
Sick of wasting time, sick of being hopeful.
4. “Everything at Once”
Take a breath, try again to convince myself something will be OK.
5. “Flood”
The purity in wanting to make things right.
6. “Corduroy”
There’s a stranger wearing your clothes.
7. “Slipping Away”
Keep finding ourselves in the same places.
8. “Brand New”
Every relationship counts, even the ones that crash and burn.
9. “Tooth Fairy”
Stop holding on so tight, let the dream take you where it wants to.
10. “Madman”
It’s all gonna/gotta come out somehow.
11. “Forget It”
I loved you here and now, so I’ll love you forever.
12. “Closer”
Sorry you hurt, this is as good as it gets, i’m doing my best to love you.
13. “I Got Time”
I don’t care where we’ve been, I don’t care where we’re going, as long as we’re together.
