Real Goblin

Review Score:

A-

The Unprecedented Times –

April 14 / 2023

I have an unabashed love of cowboys. It’s developed within the last year. I don’t know where it comes from. It could be from a slew of old western films I discovered in my adult life. It was almost certainly compounded by Red Dead Redemption 2. And Hippo Campus’ new EP Wasteland is nothing if not western inspired. It was likely conceived after someone watched “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly”, or heard “My Rifle, My Pony, And Me” by Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson. So naturally, this was right up my alley. On Wasteland, the band dons their ten-gallon hats and proves that they’ve mastered the indie rock genre.

The five tracks on this fun little project are country-tinged. This influences the lyrical themes more than anything else with songs like “Moonshine” and “Yippie Ki Yay”. I like to imagine that these were as fun to write as they are to listen to:

“Shot my horse in the opening scene

Been chased for the last three weeks

I move quick, got a bounty on me”

Following the opening tracks are the only two songs that weren’t released as singles. “Honeysuckle” has slightly thicker, bolder guitars and leans on Jake Luppen’s falsetto, but is the least interesting of the tracks presented. It feels more generic than the rest of the project. “Probably” is a gentle little campfire ballad sung beneath a sky full of stars. “Kick in the Teeth” makes use of DeCarlo Jackson’s trumpet on the back half, making for a finale as open and grand as a western canyon.

While these are more in a long line of guitar driven, indie rock tracks from Hippo Campus, I quite enjoy them. It may not have as much to say about life in the American west as something like The Killers’ Pressure Machine. But that’s not the approach this project is going for. Hippo Campus displays a mastery of their craft on Wasteland. Don’t let the theming fool you, this is still Hippo Campus doing what they do best. Yee haw.

Review Score: A-

Gubb wrote this review. You can’t get mad at Gubb.