#changes his perspective on juvenile ambition — YES

[willowser]

regarding ex husband bag, i have an hc that might not be popular but: i think bakugo retires from prohero work kind of early, like late thirties/early forties. Hes done more in two years than most heroes do in their whole lives, he's gone all out, almost lost an eye or a limb more times than he can count. He's gone through that whole league if villains ordeal, it changes his perspective on his juvenile ambition. He has a son, and while that used to spur him to work more and protect him, now he realizes that's the very thing that split his world in two. So, he cuts down on the patrol hours, maybe starts teaching the next gen of heroes to feel less guilty, he finds purchase in combing down rowdy boys' hair as best jeanist did before him. But that doesn't quell his guilt, his sense of impotence and ptsd and maybe that's when you start slipping together again. He works more but still looks tired, cause he stays up all night, awake. He has more time to think, about you and your son and his perceived failure as an husband and a hero. And you, well you love him still, so you help him. He falls asleep easier in your arms, thinks less when he's with you, feels less guilty when he sees why he left in the first place, his wife and his son. And I think that's how you get back together, you slowly fall in love all over again (the love was always there) and give him solace and meaning, and he can finally protect his wittle family the way it deserves. 🥺🥺

this is so heartbreaking and mending all in one omg !! but no, no, i absolutely agree with you !! i really think about this a lot, like. how long do we think bakugou really does this hero business ??

i tend to have this personal hc that he does retire a little early, like maybe late 30's. idk, i think after everything that's happening now in the manga, i think his perception of 'victory' and 'success' will change a bit. i also think with all this coming out about endeavor, and then literally being at the forefront of it all in the worst way, i almost think he would be a little disillusioned ?? obviously he still loves his heroes, 100%, but i think he finally is able to see through the smoke and mirrors and realize this life isn't as grand as he thought it was. that it's a lie. so i definitely see him retiring early.

but oh boy !! that totally does take its toll on him mentally !! you are so right !!! because he may know what he was striving for doesn't really exist, but that doesn't change that it was his lifelong goal, and that has to be so hard !! he probably goes back and forth for a while and maybe even loses his sense of identity and aklhfakhfgka it's probably so conflicting for him 🥺 

and then fitting that into the plot about his lil son 🥺 you put it together with such heartache !! such comfort !! you are so so right. i don't even want to add more because it's perfect !! 

[knup-a-blog]

LANDMARK by HIPPO CAMPUS [review]

LANDMARK is exactly what it claims to be. It is a turning point in the four-piece Hippo Campus’ career, a milestone in the lives of their most dedicated fans, but most importantly a “Landmark” in indie rock as a whole. Landmark embodies an impressively mature adolescent mindset, contrasting but not abandoning the juvenile spirit that carried their 2015 album Bashful Creatures. The change they have gone through within these two years is audible in each of the thirteen songs they offer (yes, including the two instrumental tracks). 

We begin the album with an instrumental intro with heavy lo-fi tones, gritty vocals, casual muted dialogue and ambient noises. Sun Veins soon makes an unexpected transition into the following track, Way It Goes. Within this first eerie minute, we already know this album is going to be a huge shift from their last. Way It Goes, their most popular single release from this album, is the best example of their renovated musical style. Rolling guitar riffs, reminiscent of Mac DeMarco (This Old Dog out May 5th), guide the chorus to achieve an incredibly dreamy result. Frontman Jake Luppen’s raw and passionate vocals bring us back to his powerful performances in their earliest endeavors, before dropping off into wavering falsettos in the verses. The grooving bassline and vivacious, full drumming we know so well take a seat on this track, drawing the spotlight on Luppen’s fresh voice and matter-of-fact lyrics, as well as the hot and sweet guitar licks. The song takes a break for a muted slide-guitar solo, epitomizing the mood of the track as a whole. It begins its crescendo with light cymbal and staticky vocalization before coming together. At this point, you know the words, and you’re definitely singing along.

Boyish, the third-to-last song, mirrors the youthful maturity that Way It Goes introduces, but with a more inclusive production. Bass and drums join (possibly over-power) the rhythm and lead guitar, and are accompanied by a brass section. Upon its release in 2016, I listened immediately and was astonished by the shift in direction from their older work. Little did we know that it would be the perfect introduction to their new sound. Boyish was a statement for Hippo Campus’ listeners that “yeah, we did that.” It was a promise that production would be taken to a whole new level, that less trivial subjects would be tackled (from “peace, weed, cocaine, and mushrooms and shit” to “dropping hallucinogens”) and that Luppen was indeed capable of prolonged falsetto. Vacation joins Boyish and Way It Goes, as it exudes juvenescence while demonstrating the growth Hippo Campus underwent in their recently-abandoned teen years.

We exit lo-fi dream Way It Goes with a soft fade before entering Vines, a song that could very well fit on their 2015 South EP. Just as spry and bright as the closing track Buttercup, Vines is full of that teenager spirit. Vines’ “I get the feeling that I’ll never leave this house again” and chorus opening line “Nighttime in the basement, screaming about our feelings” alongside Buttercups’ infectious “I’ll be fine on my own, she said, I don’t need you inside my head” line are proof enough that the angst we know and love plagues (in a good way) these two songs.

There is no denying that Landmark is full of a boyish (...sorry) wonder, and Hippo Campus certainly don’t want you to forget it. There is a constant mention of youth in their lyrics. Take these examples from the album’s middle tracks:

“Sweet love, kiss on the eyelid, bruised up, chasing the sky. Did you say something about her? My legs brushed up beside her. Too young, looking for trouble. New god, lost in the struggle. One more night in the backyard. This simple season...” (Simple Season)

“Alcoholic tendencies underneath our fingertips. I think I love you, I think I know you. Or is it only the liquor speak? I want to love you, I wanna know you.” (Tuesday)

“I just love this, I swear I’ll go viral, from the ‘burbs to the streets now. It’s a revival, the spirit is found in the idealistically idle age of excess.” (Western Kids)

These giddy tracks ooze summer vibes and pure fun. From the childlike backup vocals in Simple Season to Tuesday’s happy-go-lucky atmosphere and Western Kids’ teenage arrogance, Hippo Campus show us that they are still youthful, they still have ambition, and they still have a ways to go.

But that’s exactly what they proved with Bashful Creatures. What separates these two albums the most are the surplus of glum tracks they offer. Epitaph (which, by definition, is a song played at a funeral), Poems and single-release Monsoon are mellower, watery, and downplayed. Each song is honest, although casually cryptic. Phrases we can understand by themselves are joined together like puzzle pieces to form the lyrics of these songs. Hippo Campus are completely rejecting the popularity formula that has worked for so many pop and indie pop groups. They neglect the purposefully vague lyrics (that can apply to any tween girl that’s willing to spend all of her college savings on MP3s, merchandise and tickets). They don’t rely on C-major and a I-V-vi-IV progression. They don’t hide behind a painfully optimistic outlook on life. Hippo Campus bare all sides to adolescence. The carefree summers, newer, more raw emotions, the hopeful future, and loss.

Frontman guitarist/vocalist Jake Luppen, guitarist Nathan Stocker, bassist Zach Sutton and drummer Whistler Allen took a risk with this new album. They challenged their own standards as well as those of the indie community. Hippo Campus maintain the lively and energizing reputation that Bashful Creatures and their other EPs set forth. This fresh LP is woozy, yet passionate. Young, yet mature. Blunt, yet enigmatic. Landmark is a picturesque archive of human progress, with innovative production quality to match its innovative perspective. I’m sure that other indie bands will notice this lo-fi sound that Hippo Campus have expanded on, and so will major indie music curators (AltNation already has). The four-piece were not the first to leap into a new territory--or to switch to this territory in the first place--but they are among those who have succeeded greatly. 

NINE HIPPOS / OUT OF TEN

***note: the transition between Sun Veins and Way It Goes is the best thing that has ever happened to me