Erin’s Prime Slices (10/4): Hippo Campus, Cumulus

Hippo Campus – Bambi (indie/alternative rock)

Opening with an atmosphere of spacey synths, droning strings, and harmonious vocals that I can only describe as a barbershop-quartet-of-the-future, Hippo Campus has truly thrown their fans a curveball with their latest album Bambi. While in the past, the band has been more focused on having fun and creating for the sake of creating, it seems this latest project has taken a more meaningful and concrete form. Overall, if you have jammed to Hippo Campus in the past, I think it is important that you get to know this album. Hippo Campus has shown the world another side of themselves that I hope they continue to explore in the future.

Cumulus – Comfort World (indie power punk)

Alex Niedzialkowski, the front woman of Cumulus, had been going through a pretty rough patch in her life before releasing Comfort World. Writing these songs was a way in which she was able to cope with the obstacles she ran into, and I think it is easy to hear the genuine emotion in both the lyrics and production of each track. Songs like “Retreat,” an anthem about allowing yourself space and respect in relationships, seem to possess healing power and connectivity that reach beyond Niedzialkowski’s personal struggle. The album is chill, deeply relatable, and completely danceable (best dancing songs: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8).