Indie rock with infectious swing and dash from Minnesota, Hippo Campus make all the right moves on a debut album where they try out a bunch of different looks to see how they fit. It’s a laudable working method, allowing them to hop and jump from branch to branch as they and producer BJ Burton (best known for his dalliances with Bon Iver) pursue a new vision.
While their earlier stuff was closely working off a Vampire Weekend or Future Islands template, Landmark is on much surer footing regarding accentuating the band's own particular drawl. There's a distinctive imprimatur in how vocalist Jake Luppen embellishes tracks such as Western Kids and Simple Season, while the adventurous experimentation which is full steam ahead in the engine room is also cognisant of the need to keep the songs on the melodic straight and narrow.
A confident introduction to a band still examining where their potential will lead them.
