EP Review: Hippo Campus - 'Good Dog, Bad Dream'
Good Dog, Bad Dream, the latest offering from indie darlings Hippo Campus, evokes a sense of freedom. The group's latest release for over two years, their excitement to be back in the swing of things is palpable, melding their beloved indie sound with a newfound sense of exhilaration that works its way throughout the whole release. From the opening track ‘Bad Dream Baby’, we can hear this excitement. A track that hits the listener with waves of guitar melodies, relentless drum beats, and a breakdown on the middle 8, it’s reminiscent of freefalling,unable to hold back it’s carefree attitude, and in turn, tempting the listener to adopt the exact same mindset.
The laid-back looseness of the groups comes throughout the listen, as the group decorate their indie sound with a meld of experimental and loose elements that elevate the listening experience completely. In the track ‘Sex Tape’, Lullens vocals feel like stream-of-consciousness confession. Beginning only with minimalistic guitar licks and his vocals that jump and dive between notes with auto-tuned easiness, eventually the track gains a sense of structure, with a melt-in-your-mouth instrumental building to a bubbling horn solo. But, the laid-back mentality attitude remains woven into the tracks, sitting comfortably as it waxes and wanes.
However, interweaved with the feeling of looseness, the group tangles some philosophical musings amongst it. ‘Deepfake’ a track that waynes between dotted synths and ferocious dum patterns is perhaps most distinctive for it’s one line chorus hook ‘Music sucks, people change, do as many drugs as you can!’ The feeling of recklessness feels fitting for the collected chaos of the groups sound, and adds a sense of saving time that transforms the track from a run-of-the-mill indie bopper, to an anthem for the celebratory youth, and the little time they have left to preserve it.
The group have been hailed for their ability to create long lasting indie classics, but with this latest release, it seems the group have unveiled a whole new leash of life. Perhaps it’s the elevated sound that can be heard on each track, or the snippets of wisdom that can be found melted in the midst of each track. Either way, after so many restrictions, it feels like the perfect release to welcome home the world as it returns to normal.
Words by Lily Blakeney-Edwards