One thing Frankie Cosmos does best is taking the mundane and making it extraordinary. Greta Kline, the songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist, manages to achieve this within a 28 minute span on Next Thing, the latest album released by Frankie Cosmos on Bayonet Records. Whether it’s about taking pictures of her hypothetical dog on “If I Had a Dog” or pondering what it’s like entering her third decade of life in “I’m 20,” Kline offers her signature wit and insight into each track.
“Floating On,” the first song of the album, could easily be used to soundtrack your life as you walk through a sunny neighborhood lined with white picket fences. It has a cheery, simplistic air to it, but in true Frankie Cosmos style, some minor chords are introduced to give the sunny cheer a darker counterpart.
This whimsical but grim vibe stays consistent throughout the entire album. Behind the high, airy vocals and seemingly cheery demeanor lies undeniable moments of self-doubt. Kline has gone from the kind of girl buses splash with rain (“Buses Splash with Rain” off of 2014’s Zentropy) to the kind who [doesn’t] know what [she’s] cut out for on this album’s track, “Tour Good.” In “Too Dark,” she asks Do I belong?—the classic question everyone asks to themselves at least once in their life. This is perhaps why Frankie Cosmos is a bit of an indie hero. For one, it’s clear that in the end she doesn’t care if she belongs, as she continues putting out quirky songs about whatever she feels like. The topics are relatable, partially because of their mundane nature and partially because of Kline’s blatant honesty when singing about them.
Frankie Cosmos never seems distant from its audience either, because the band has a way of making professional studio albums maintain the charm and intimacy of home recordings. The sound is clearly generated in a studio because, essentially, it sounds very clean. Nonetheless, the simplicity of the songs and Kline’s calm, sincere vocals maintain the DIY spirit of the band (if the numerous home recordings on Kline’s Bandcamp doesn’t already assure you of that.)
You may be feeling on top of the world, or you may be questioning your purpose on the planet, but when listening to Next Thing, you’ll discover catchy tunes to match your spirits and find a comforting friend in Frankie Cosmos.
