You know how some things are sort of uplifting and depressing at the same time? Like 85% dark chocolate? Or pretty much every minute of every Wes Anderson movie? Or setting foot into a Chuck E. Cheese’s as an adult?
Frankie Cosmos is kinda like that. The New York four-piece, lead by songwriter Greta “NOT ACTUALLY ‘Frankie’” Kline, has been perfecting it’s own take on that whole curious aesthetic and emotional balance between “kittens wearing sunglasses” and “kittens abandoned in the alley” since 2014’s Zentropy (continued on 2016’s handily-titled Next Thing). And now, after announcing the jump to indie’s majors last year, Kline and her bandmates — bassist/vocalist David Maine, keyboardist/vocalist Lauren Martin and drummer Luke Pyenson — are endeavoring to warm/chill our hearts ON THE PROFESSIONAL LEVEL with the announcement of their Sub Pop debut, Vessel.
Weighing in at a thick-ass 18 tracks, this prodigious slab of all-the-feelings is sure to make a pretty loud THUD when it drops on March 30 on all-the-formats (though pre-orders through the Sub Pop store and select independent retailers “will receive the limited Loser edition on blue vinyl”).
To keep us nicely emotionally-exhausted until then, Kline & co. have also shared Vessel’s first single “Jesse,” an upbeat-but-serious, guitar punctuated pep talk which finds Kline “work[ing] through feeling out of place, and trying to be more psychically in touch with herself.” Listen confusedly for yourself down below, and check out the album’s cover art — as well as its full tracklisting and a list of upcoming tour dates around the US this April — down below.
And just to be clear: it’s totally okay to feel “happy” about all of this! Just not…you know, TOO happy. :-|
Vessel tracklisting:
01. Caramelize
02. Apathy
03. As Often as I Can
04. This Stuff
05. Jesse
06. Duet
07. Accommodate
08. I’m Fried
09. Hereby
10. Ballad of R & J
11. Ur Up
12. Being Alive
13. Bus Bus Train Train
14. My Phone
15. Cafeteria
16. The End
17. Same Thing
18. Vessel
Touring the cosmos:
04.05.18 - Boulder, CO - Fox Theater *
04.06.18 - Colorado Springs, CO - Black Sheep *
04.07.18 - Santa Fe, NM - Meow Wolf *
04.09.18 - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom *
04.10.18 - San Diego, CA - Quartyard %
04.11.18 - Los Angeles, CA - Regent Theatre %
04.12.18 - Santa Ana, CA - Constellation Room %
04.13.18 - Fresno, CA - Strummers %
04.14.18 - Berkeley, CA - UC Theatre %
04.17.18 - Seattle, WA - Neumos %
04.18.18 - Olympia, WA - Capitol Theater %
04.20.18 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom %
* Lomelda
% Ian Sweet & SOAR