Hippo Campus band on track for success

The members of Hippo Campus are not even old enough to drink, but they’re on the brink of becoming the new face of the Indie rock genre with the recognition they’ve been getting from their latest extended play (EP) and performances.

Hippo Campus is a quartet from Woodbury, Minn. The band started in 2013 and has been quite successful for the short amount of time they’ve been around.

There’s been a lot of buzz about the twin-city band. They performed at the pinnacle of all Minneapolis venues — First Avenue — for a showcase of the Best New Bands of 2014, which was hosted by the Current, a radio station based in St. Paul, Minn.

Their EP “Bashful Creatures” delivers an urge to tap your fingers against anything if you’re in a setting where it’s not appropriate to dance. The EP is 20 minutes long, composed of six tracks. It was released Nov. 18, 2014, and I would recommend it for anyone who’s looking for new music to listen to.

The track “Little Grace” is both symphonic and warm. The guitar and vocals both follow the same note pattern, creating its own unique voice.

The words “Save a little grace for us” flow like a spontaneous adventure into the meadows with a significant other.

The instrumentals in “Souls” illustrates the track’s vibe by the way the guitar shape shifts into a sonar system that explores the depths of the human soul. The percussion protects and carries that guitar in a passionate applause.

Hippo Campus recently made its television debut on Conan O’Brien after the show’s music booker was impressed with the band’s sound at South By Southwest, a music festival in Austin, Texas. The band performed “Suicide Saturday,” a song that tells a sad story, but in a cheerful and celebratory tone.

“Bashful Creatures” accurately summarizes the basics of the ups and downs of life. Through uplifting words and “trance-dental” instrumentals, the band is able to make an emotional connection with the listener.

Hippo Campus is currently on tour supporting the Mowgli’s; however, it appears it won’t be long until they venture out on their first headlining tour based on their recent success. They will be performing at Lollapalooza later this year.

It will be interesting to see how they can tell other stories with more than six tracks. The band hasn’t yet released a full length record, but there is much anticipation and desire for it.

The bottom line is Hippo Campus is a group of new kids on the block, and it will be exciting to follow them as they progress in their music. Listeners should be prepared to see the band’s name in big neon lights in the future.