Frankie Cosmos

Next Thing (2016)

nickEp

If nothing else, Frankie Cosmos’s Next Thing proposes the question, “What is an album anymore?” If you go her bandcamp, there are thirty-nine releases on the discography page, each varying in length and pseudonym for 22-year-old Greta Kline. So what makes Next Thing different than the rest? 

Kline clearly has talent. Her ability to constantly pen roughly two minute songs each with their own independent theme is a gift. Lyrically, they all stand apart without a lot to unpack. Straightforward songwriting can be refreshing when it’s done right, and a good amount of tracks here prove that, relatable to anyone under a certain age. Whether it’s something as generic as, “You make me feel like a fool waiting for you,” as specific as, “I’d sell my soul for a free pen, on it, the name of your corporation,” or somewhere in between, “New Mexico, where I ran to and closed my eyes and thought of you,” every and anything can be turned into a song.

But should everything be a song? Courtney Barnett, for example, can take the mundane and make it catchy and interesting. This is more of Kline’s same thoughts gently backed by her same guitar but with better production. Her other thirty-eight albums leave the exact same impression. The best songs on Next Thing are the ones that break the monotony. “Too Dark,” appears early on and gives the album a peak it never quite returns to. “Sappho” has some cool harmonies that add another layer. But something like “Interlude” is merely a shorter, short song. The drums in particular keep the songs stagnant veering them more toward generic indie pop. While some bedroom projects like Car Seat Headrest make a giant leaps forward on their proper full lengths, Kline’s quirky pop just feels like more of the same.

The real question is what’s different here? Why is this the "album"? Does it even matter? Her answer, and I’d assume many of her fans’ answers, would be no, because it’s honest, heartfelt music. While she may now be more mature than naming albums I’mall fuced up or Jared Leto Can’t Read, the sentiment is still there. These are songs about everyday life at its most basic level. You'll have to decide for yourself whether that's enough.