Hippo Campus are perfectly awkward with their new album Bambi set to be released September 28th through Transgressive Records and produced be BJ Burton (Bon Iver, Low).
Guitarist Jake Luppen stated that part of their album was shaped by #Metoo, mental health issues, and toxic masculinity. “That (#metoo) really made us take a look at how toxic masculinity has influenced the way we see ourselves and the world overall, in the past, we might have been apprehensive about being super-vulnerable, but now we’re more aware of how important it is to come forward about dealing with depression or anxiety. Because if more men are able to do that, they might be less likely to express those feelings as anger or violence.”
Hippo Campus – Bambi
This drift from the status quo is apparent throughout the album. It’s playful and quirky, but with a vulnerability that lies in the fragile melodies and honest lyrics. They’re stretching, moving, and expanding what our society considers to be masculine. Bambi is unexpected, and once you get into a beat, it changes. It’ll have you bobbing your head to bubble sounds and loud glitches.
Hippo Campus has given us an album we can listen to while we test new waters, take an emotional journey, and find new parts of ourselves.