The dog-loving, breakfast-eating, art-making indie rock band Frankie Cosmos is back with their fourth studio album, “Close It Quietly.” Stacked with 21 songs, this is their longest release yet, while only having a running time of 39 minutes.
The band has been consistent in style since the release of their first album “Zentropy” in 2014. Many of their songs fall under two minutes, with snappy glimpses into lead singer Greta Kline’s mind. Her unique way of thinking about the world is apparent on tracks like “Last Season’s Textures” and “Actin’ Weird.”
Frankie Cosmos ventures out of their usual apathetic aesthetic with faster, more angst driven songs on “Close it Quietly.”
The album has more variety and breadth than songs earlier in their career, such as “On the Lips” and “School”. Now that Kline is in her mid-20s, her music is more reflective and contemplative.
The album cover features a hand holding marbles with a magnifying glass examining it. On the song “Marbles,” Kline sings, “oh darling, I wanna give you all my marbles,” which twists the phrase of losing your marbles. Kline is reaching a complicated time in her life, being in her mid 20s, and rather than losing her marbles, she’s deciding to give them away and put a positive spin on the chaos. She says, “Flowers don’t grow in an organized way/ Why should I?” on the song “A Joke.”
Over the past five years, Frankie Cosmos has gained over 600,000 monthly Spotify listeners and continues to a staple in the world of indie music. The current band includes Luke Pyenson (drums and vocals), Alex Bailey (bass guitar and keyboard) and Lauren Martin (keyboard, synthesizers and vocal harmonies).
They released three music videos with the drop of the album: “Wannago,” “41st” and “Windows.” All three videos reflect the goofy demeanor of the band. Frankie Cosmos doesn’t take their videos too seriously and often feature a bizarre theme and silly acting.
“I’m following it even though it is not what I expected / I don’t know if it’s me or I’m it, but I cannot regret it” says Kline in “I’m It.” This exemplifies the contemplative nature of the artist’s mind, her uneasiness about the world and her place in it, but her acceptance of reality.
Frankie Cosmos’ music is fun to listen to while having a reflective quality that many going through a transitional time can relate to.
Frankie Cosmos will be playing at the Wonder Ballroom in Portland on Halloween, Thursday October 31st.