The album art for the sophomore record of Frankie Cosmos ÔÇô the solo recording moniker for Porches member and Bandcamp connoisseur Greta Kline ÔÇô is, much like KlineÔÇÖs music, deceptively simple. The unpretentious sketch, in some ways, acts as a microcosm for KlineÔÇÖs attitude towards art and helps contextualise her music from the outset. ÔÇÿNext ThingÔÇÖ is miles apart from her first project ÔÇÿMuch Ado About FuckingÔÇÖ; in just four-years Kline has artistically matured in every aspect.

There is something distinctly modernist and American about KlineÔÇÖs lyrics; theyÔÇÖre reminiscent of a Frank OÔÇÖHara poem or a coffee-stained Raymond Carver novel. Her detached vocal delivery serves to amplify the emotional resonance of her lyrics. When her voice breaks on ÔÇÿIs it Possible/ Sleep SongÔÇÖ as she sings ÔÇ£Goodbye forever/ What the fuck?ÔÇØ youÔÇÖre right there with her, you can tell she means it. On paper these words can seem throwaway, too simple, too austere, but KlineÔÇÖs vocal delivery enables her to elevate these simple words to a place where they can have greater emotional resonance. KlineÔÇÖs greatest lyrical talent is cutting out the excess of what she observes and getting to the beating heart of it all.┬á ÔÇÿNext ThingÔÇÖ is a reminder that music does not have to be grand or verbose, sometimes simplicity is all that is needed; often simplicity is all you can give.

ÔÇÿNext ThingÔÇÖ has solidified Kline as not just an interesting indie-pop artist, but an immensely talented songwriter. Kline, in a sense, adopts the punk attitude of short-songs, but what makes her interesting is that her approach is completely different; imagine a Ramones song written in red crayon, surrounded by doodles of dogs. Her aesthetic conceals her complexity, but this also makes her art more powerful. Kline has navigated the interesting space between pop and indie effortlessly since her first days on Bandcamp; Kline is no longer just navigating this space, with ÔÇÿNext ThingÔÇÖ she is dominating it.

BEN NEWMAN