Review by Stan Cierlitsky
Frankie Cosmos returns with Close It Quietly, their fourth album since 2014, out on September 6 on Sub Pop Records. Frankie Cosmos is fronted by the incredible Greta Kline (daughter of actors Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates). To call her prolific would be an understatement. This new album, for example, has 21 songs, even though it clocks in at only about 40 minutes. On the song "41st" here, she sings "Do you wanna hear the 40 songs I wrote this year?", and that line isn't entirely meant to be a joke.
When listening to Frankie Cosmos I can't help but think how perfectly they would fit on the Sarah Records roster if that label still existed. Frankie Cosmos would have been comfortable sitting somewhere between Heavenly (although way more folk-y) and Even As We Speak (although way more straightforward and less experimental), you know?
The album opener starts with just Greta stating, "The world is crumbling and I don't have much to say." It's a bit of a tongue-in-cheek and stark beginning, but the band quickly join in to offer up one of their more fuller sounding songs that I can remember. It's a number that's reminiscent of an early Stereolab song. Elsewhere, lead single "Windows" closes in on the three-minute mark, making it a rarity on this album of short songs. It's a perfect piece of indie twee-pop. It is an easy number to enjoy for fans of the aforementioned Soccer Mommy, Snail Mail, or perhaps even Alvvays.
The second single, "Rings (On A Tree)", is actually a reworking of an older song that Greta released as part of her Haunted Items project where she released a few songs every week for a month. You can find it on Bandcamp. The most recent single, "Wannago", is the one song that eclipses the three-minute mark on the album. The video features comedian Catherine Cohen hosting a cooking competition between members of the band. Greta plays the judges. It's a fun sort of spoof that just feels right for this band.
Overall, Close It Quietly is a very solid album, thanks in some part to the work of producer Gabe Wax as well, fresh from producing the wonderful Soccer Mommy debut last year. One could argue that it might have been better for Frankie Cosmos to have pared down some of the less worthwhile snippet songs from this record, but even those give a listener a glimpse into the charming personality and narrative skills of Greta Kline.
Close It Quietly is out on Friday via Sub Pop.
More details on Frankie Cosmos via the band's official website, or the band's official Facebook page.
Don't forget to get out and see them live September 27th at The Black Cat. Details here.
[Photo: Jackie Lee Young]