Hippo Campus
Landmark
(Grand Jury)
There’s been much buzz about this first album from the St. Paul indie-rockers, as the pair of EPs leading up to it have been nothing short of frisky. The band clearly capitalize on all the atttention their way, and return with a massive amount of energy mixed with rotating sounds of calmness, dream-pop, and more mature textures. While there’s still plenty of giant synth and arena sized melody, this is a (slightly) older, more adult version of their sunny indie-pop that changes in scope and delivery with each tune, clearly illustrating the youngsters veering away from the Vampire Weekend comparisons. Landmark will soundtrack the summer of 2017 for many people, and could propel the status of the band to a level that parallels Motion City Soundtrack in 2006.
