Frankie Cosmos - Vessel review: a relatable sense of self-doubt and trepidation

Greta Kline’s album of vignettes feels like the less achieving sibling of some of her earlier work

Vessel
    
Artist: Frankie Cosmos
Genre: Alternative
Label: Sub Pop

You know Frankie Cosmos from that stack of VHS tapes that used to gather dust on your livingroom floor. Translation: the singer-songwriter (real name Greta Kline) writes short guitar songs that feel like scenes lifted from throwback teenage dramedies – the ones chocked full of boy-meets-girl awkwardness, nerdy malaise and slacker philosophy.

With just 34 minutes to cover 18 tracks, the choppy Vessel deals out its vignettes rapidly. Apathy depicts the internal sorrow felt when a relationship is withering, while the 30-second My Phone captures the goofiness of young love.

Kline’s twee vocal style paired with the minimal arrangements – usually built around a soberly strummed electric guitar – brings a relatable sense of self-doubt and trepidation to every song she sings.

Yet Vessel feels a little like the less achieving younger sibling of Kline's 2016 record Next Thing – it's similar, just not as consistently great. You've probably heard every chord progression here 100 times before. And with some of her early electro-pop numbers still among Kline's best work, I do wish she'd rescued her synths from the garage to help keep things moving.

READ MORE

Still, every song here packed with at least one interesting idea. Don’t sleep on Frankie Cosmos – she’ll almost certainly make new classics in the future.