On Sept. 28, 2018, indie-rock group Hippo Campus should’ve changed the world with the release of its showpiece of a sophomore album, Bambi. Outside of the band’s immediate fanbase, however, the album went under the radar, leaving countless people deprived of profound, genuine, off-the-charts wonderful music.
That’s not the five-piece’s fault, though. People have seemed to alter the definition of good music, pushing aside Hippo Campus’ impassioned work for monotonous trap tracks that boast nothing but arrogance. Everyone is entitled to like whatever music they choose, but Hippo Campus rightfully deserves for its music to be heard.
Here’s a brief breakdown of each of the 10 tracks from Bambi:
“Mistakes”
“Mistakes” opens the album with stimulating synths and frontman Jake Luppen’s gorgeously layered vocals. In only three stanzas, the band takes you to an inexplicably beautiful universe, topped off by these delightful lyrics: “Don’t be afraid of the way that you feel / Open your heart and you’ll see it’s real / … Don’t be afraid, that’s the way that you feel / It’s true love.”
“Anxious”
Music has the ability to captivate people through its relatability, and “Anxious” is the epitome of that. Smooth yet melancholy vocals transition into a cathartic release during the chorus, blended with intricate drumming and transcendent synths, help tell the story of an anxiety-laden individual. With Hippo Campus, even the most seemingly simple lyrics hold so much power: “Don’t you know you’re not to blame for feeling?”
“Doubt”
Confused with love? Hippo Campus knows how it feels. Changing the tone, “Doubt” delivers a pop-packed punch with the catchiest chorus on the album and a groovy instrumental break. The band shows it’s normal to feel uncertainty, even with the people you envision spending your life with: “Love, is it love? / We got trouble keeping up / Who can say you’re the one and never doubt it?”
“Bambi”
Mental health is a heavily-discussed topic on Bambi, and it should be no surprise the title track explores it the most. Guided by simplistic yet catchy synths and a subtle trumpet, “Bambi” expresses the loss of hope felt when attempting to manage uncontrollable mood swings. No one could’ve explained it any better than Luppen: “I haven’t been much myself / And I feel like my friends are being put through this hell I’m feeling / I think that I’m living, if you could call it living / So brash and unforgiving / Ruled by the vibe I’m bringing, serving myself.”
“Why Even Try”
“Why Even Try” scrutinizes the effects of a broken relationship — primarily, the feeling of hopelessness that manifests when you realize nothing will be the same. A smooth electric guitar, meticulously blended with equally perfect drumming, helps make Luppen and lead guitarist Nathan Stocker’s vocals sound more profound: “On and on (no more us) / The feelings burst and then they fall (no more we) / Until later on (no more you) / We walk it back and patch things up (no more me).”
“Think It Over”
The synths throughout this track are dreary yet invigorating, and it’s simply indie-rock heaven. “Think It Over” delineates the narrative of someone telling their significant other to take their time thinking about what seems to be an unknown, huge decision. You can tell it has something to do with the fate of their relationship, and Luppen promises they have all the time in the world to choose: “You’ve got time to think it over / You’ve got time to think it through.”
“Bubbles”
“Bubbles” gets at the same problems discussed in “Why Even Try”: mending broken relationships. With aggressive drumming and roaring guitars, the bridge contains the most intense moment on the album, complete with fervent lyrics: “Honest to God / I really couldn’t lie to your face / I look away and feel like a mess / And what I can’t accept is the truth: that I don’t love you / Wish I could say I was a better friend to you then.”
“Honestly”
“Honestly” commences with Luppen missing his cue and saying “I’m sorry. I suck,” before drummer Whistler Allen jokingly agrees, “Yes, you do!” The track examines the exasperating notion of self-gratification and includes eloquent, poetic lyrics: “Tomorrow seems to seep into the edge of nothing (a bluish and faded vision, hey!) / Aimless eyes are searching for a better something (but it’s OK; it’s indecision).”
“Golden”
A synth-pop wonderland is the best way to describe “Golden.” The title is a description of Luppen’s girlfriend, Katya, who according to his loving lyrics, is “grinning mad, light blue and golden.” We all crave for the type of love Luppen sees in Katya: “Why is it I want change for you? / Why is it I want to see this through? / Maybe I’m sick of sleeping longer nights with lesser feelings.”
“Passenger”
Concluding the album in quintessential fashion, “Passenger” tells a narrative of how it feels to coexist alongside the people you’re infatuated with. Rhythmic synths transition into what sounds like a lowly heartbeat right after Luppen delivers painfully beautiful lyrics: “If we ever became the things we lost, the things we left behind / I would wish for the past when we were pure, suffering intertwined.”
