Review: LP3 by Hippo Campus
Minnesota-based band Hippo Campus has graced the world with another wildly unique body of work, LP3, that embraces one’s individual growth while grappling with dark dimensional fears. This third album feels warmly nostalgic to the group’s evergreen indie roots and yet, freshly insightful with marked maturity. Experimenting with different avenues of sound has never been an obstacle for Hippo Campus. Longtime fans of the band have seen these artists expand their style through numerous phases of internal questioning and existential realizations. LP3 stands out as the confident next step Hippo Campus is taking towards total world domination. Okay… maybe I’m getting a little excited. But this album really is that good. Get ready to ponder people: Hippo Campus isn’t messing around on LP3.
Photo by Tonje Thilesen
In a flash of wide-eyed wonder, the first track off of LP3 takes hold of listeners as a deep diving, burst-through-the-surface intro to the new record. Heavy with the guilt of human existence and the eeriness of tomorrow, “2 young 2 die” hangs on to that universal feeling of unworthiness we all feel from time to time. We’re all invincible until we’re not. We all think we matter, but at what cost? In light of recent years, these late-night thoughts webbed into this sticky intro track kick off LP3 on a high with glitchy instrumentals and silky smooth vocals.
—Blew Its—
As far as experimental sounds go, “Blew Its” perfectly captures the essence of blending the old with the new. Warped with tinny notes and a thrumming bassline, this second track picks apart the ultimate satisfaction of clashing intervals. It’s an upward climb that feels solid and steadfast to longtime Hippo Campus fans and still connects with new listeners in the crowd. “Blew Its” displays a stunning vocal range wrapped in a quivering, catchy tempo to push this record along.
—Ashtray—
“Ashtray” fully embodies the clumsy sensation of finding your footing on a sinking ship. There’s a loose airiness about this song that feels fitting as the third installment on this album. Chock-full of rambling confessions and off-beat instrumentals, “Ashtray” comes to a screeching moment of clarity during the bridge where frontman Jake sings “I’m fine, I’m here like half of the time, that’s nothin’ new, it’s a crime, and a crying shame” before plunging back into the abyss. This song seems to fully encapsulate a lot of new and old Hippo Campus musicality, and I’d go as far to guess it may have been a killer single before the album’s full release last month. Regardless, “Ashtray” is a great dig-your-heels-in-the-sand addition to this body of work.
I am trying to bite my tongue as to not over-express how much I adore this track. Ahead of LP3’s release, “Bang Bang” was the fourth and final single that Hippo Campus put out, and I was absolutely blown away at first listen. After releasing 3 badass singles over the course of several months, I figured there was no way that “Bang Bang” would surpass its predecessors. Boy was I wrong. In a sultry twist of throwing logic to the wind, this track latches on to long distance attraction, clinging to physical companionship even when one knows a relationship is on its last leg. The second verse of this song is agonizing as it is delectable. With lyrics that spell out one’s darkest desires and miles of long distance fears, “Bang Bang” has quickly placed itself as my personal favorite off of LP3.
—Semi Pro—
In the wake of brutal realizations brought on by COVID-19, Hippo Campus says a lakehouse retreat birthed the premise of “Semi Pro”. This second single off of LP3 breaks down the tantalizing glow of fame, failure, and dreams from the past that seem just out of reach. There is a trudging, ‘uphill battle’ feel to this track that listeners can’t seem to shake. Since its release as a single at the end of 2021, “Semi Pro” has become a staple song on numerous feel-good, wintry playlists. It seems fitting that this was the last piece written for the album, as its itching honesty leaves us basking in a calm wave of closure… before being shattered at the end of the track. Wink wink.
Arguably the catchiest track on the album, “Ride or Die” drives home repetitive words of a die-hard love with quite possibly the grooviest drumbeat you’ll ever hear. The words and melodies on this track blend together so seamlessly, it’s impossible to listen to “Ride or Die” and not have that post-chorus on loop in your brain the rest of the day. This song feels fresh and breathy, a killer third single to balance out the heavier lyricality in the first two singles off of LP3. “Ride or Die” sneaks up on you in the best way when listening to this album, acting as the perfect transition into the second half of this well-crafted record.
—Scorpio—
“Scorpio” showcases Hippo Campus’s effortless ability to blur the lines between music genres while incorporating unexpected sound elements. Combining shimmery vocal harmonies, various instruments, and teasing lyrics, this song shakes up conversations surrounding star signs. Specifically, the song dances around Scorpios’ uncanny ability to box away deeply-rooted emotions, in favor of laughing off difficult situations and emotional turmoil. For those with a deep understanding of astrology, “Scorpio” hits the nail on the head with its underlying jealous nature and simultaneous appreciate for stone-cold star signs. I think this track sits perfectly between the ambience of “Ride or Die” and the next track on the album, “Listerine”.
Wow…talk about a song that begs to be played full blast on a highway drive. Despite its soothing melody and breathy vocals, “Listerine” tears up the common misconception that we are built to face hardships all alone. Gritting our teeth in the face of independence, Hippo Campus pens this track as an ode to leaning on one another to face inner problems head-on. In a beautiful array of instrumental magic, this tune sticks with fans as a bare-all moment of brilliant vulnerability. I think this song is a very clear moment of maturity in the band’s songwriting style and instrumentation choices.
—Boys—
If there is one song on this album that is a must-listen, “Boys” deserves all the praise in the world. On an earnest quest for bettering one’s life, “Boys” tumbles through the post-party haze of realizing change is needed. Jake Luppon of Hippo Campus says the inspiration for this song came from a night of crazy experiences at a party. He woke up the next day bewildered and desperate for change— something that a trip to New York and surrounding himself with stable people made better. “Boys” describes the spinning cycle of bad decisions leading to hard hungover consequences. There isn’t a more perfect song off of LP3 to bridge fans from previous Hippo Campus sounds to new endeavors, complete with nostalgic melodies and soul-searching lyrics.
In a dreamlike trance, “Understand” pulls this album to a shimmering close in a way that feels sincere and promising. Despite a rocky few years, Hippo Campus leaves fans in a state of true optimism. Overcoming obstacles is messy and difficult, but this final track off of LP3 makes it feel overwhelmingly possible. Strung together with gorgeous guitar melodies, “Understand” is a warm nod to the past while looking ahead to our very real, tangible future. If any band knows how to build a true beginning-middle-end storybook album, it is Hippo Campus.
Album artwork for “LP3”
Album reviews normally come pretty easily for music that feels solid and ‘as expected’. Maybe that’s why it seems more difficult than usual to convey the songwriting magic Hippo Campus has created with their recent release of LP3. For longtime fans of the band, seeing the experimental growth and complete disregard of structured genres is empowering and incredibly beautiful. For new listeners of Hippo Campus, this album is a stunning intro to this group of artists and creators who know no boundaries in their reflective music journey.
You can stream LP3 by Hippo Campus on Spotify and Apple Music. Be sure to follow the band on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube for all their latest music releases and to catch a show on their current tour!
Review by Kelly Carrazzone
