I love a good alias. If you count them all up, Greta Kline (best known as Frankie Cosmos) has had eight different stage names over the course of her career. She has gone by Ingrid Superstar, Little Bear, Zebu Fur, The Ingrates, Franklin Cosmos, and others before landing on her current nom-de-scène. Frankie Cosmos just released her third official studio album, ‘Vessel,’ on March 30th, 2018 and I’m here to tell you about it.
If you’re not into raspy voices, you may not like Frankie Cosmos. When she climbs up to those high notes, her voice whistles. It’s almost like I can feel the long stream of air rushing through her vocal cords when I listen. Typically, her vocal stylings would be something I despise due to her voice’s frailty and lack of power, but there’s just something so charming about it that I have remained a fan for a few years.
When you consider both Frankie Cosmos’ vocals and lyrics, ‘Vessel’ can seem juvenile, especially considering there are tracks titled “This Stuff,” “Bus Bus Train Train,” and “Cafeteria.” This album, like most of her work, is comprised of what I think of as “diary music” - no unnecessary fluff or pretentious vocabulary, just emotions and consciousness. She sings minimalistic phrases that give an air of comedy and playfulness, while remaining introspective and personal.
If you’re in a mood to think about your high school experiences and your love life, turn to ‘Vessel.” I believe fans of the soundtrack to the film “Juno” (fantastic soundtrack, by the way) would also enjoy Frankie Cosmos. ‘Vessel’ is one of those rare albums where my favorites pop up closer to the end of the album; with most albums I love, I end up spacing out for the second half or skipping it altogether. Check out the album for yourself and let WGRE know what songs you want to hear on the station on any of our social media! Don’t forget to listen at our website, wgre.org, or on an actual, real physical radio if you still have one at 91.5 FM.
Jerica’s favorite tracks: “This Stuff,” “Cafeteria,” “Bus Bus Train Train,” and “Ur Up”