On 12th September Hippo Campus released the EP ‘Warm Glow’ consisting of three songs, ‘Baseball’, ‘Traveler’ and title track ‘Warm Glow’, and I’m happy to say that their instantly likeable Phoenix/Two Door Cinema Club vibe continues.
When I saw Hippo Campus back in January at Thekla, a small boat used as a concert venue in Bristol, they lit up the small space with their uplifting, lively set, with a mix of tunes from their debut EP, ‘Bashful creatures’, and a few singles from their first full album ‘Landmark’. Since then I‘ve been keeping an eye out for new releases and this EP did not disappoint as it stayed true to their jangly, guitar-driven, indie-pop sound.
The first song on this new EP, ‘Baseball’, starts with a soft guitar plucking sequence and a strong drum beat, but quickly moves towards their trademark sunny chorus. The song slows at the bridge temporarily, giving a nice contrast to the steady, repetitive rhythm.
‘Traveler’, the second track on the EP, features Ludden’s playful vocals and energetic guitar riffs. Again, the bridge eases the pace of the insanely catchy chorus meanwhile a harmony runs over top of Ludden’s lead vocals. Finally a crescendo of layering sounds envelops the listener into the dream-like ending of the song.
As well as being fine purveyors of upbeat, jaunty guitar melodies, Hippo Campus are pretty adept at dropping the tempo too. ‘Warm Glow’, although not as ethereal as the band’s album track ‘Monsoon’, provides a welcome contrast to the other upbeat tracks on this EP with Ludden’s higher, blissful vocals and its repetition of a simple guitar riff. Good as it was, when I listened to it I anticipated a build at the end but it never quite reached the heights promised leaving it a little unsatisfying. See what you think.
Overall the EP mirrors the same style previously adopted by the band, so if you like their past tracks in ‘Bashful creatures’ and ‘Landmark’ you are more than likely to enjoy these new songs.
The band from Minneapolis, Minnesota have just finished their stint touring around the UK and are set to start their US tour later this month.
