Minnesotan indie rock band Hippo Campus returned to Leeds for a third-time-lucky gig at Belgrave Music Hall. The night could not have got off to better start, what with slick indie pop tune from local favourites, The Marsicans, promoting their latest EP The Absence and teasing their upcoming single ‘Friends’.

Hippo Campus came on stage bubbling with excitement; jumping into the brooding ‘Souls’ slowly forced the rabble to move as the song built to an explosive climax. This was swiftly followed by classics like ‘Suicide Saturday’ and ‘Bashful Creatures’, which proved impossible not to sing along with.

Newest single ‘Way It Goes’ provides a more developed, mature sound, full of buzzing guitars and simple lyrics laden with melancholy. Together with the beautifully depressing ‘monsoon’, bringing the crowd down to a slow lull, the Hippo boys hinted at what is sure to be an iconic debut album, Landmark.

Having chatted to the band earlier and introducing them to the “Yorkshire, Yorkshire, Yorkshire” and “Leeds, Leeds, Leeds” chants, the lead singer Jake started them himself almost every other song, much to the crowd’s delight. It set the room ablaze with true Yorkshire spirit.

Finishing the set with the infectious melodies of with ‘Sophie So’ there is no doubt Hippo Campus give an amazing show. Landmark is going to be massive.

Amy Brown & Jenny Pudney