Greta Kline, performing as Frankie Cosmos, remarked at one point last night that she imagined she was performing naked in front of the audience. I suspect the sense of being exposed reflected her introversion: her eyes were closed through much of her set, and her personality on stage reserved. Her parents are notable actors, but she explained: "I got into music, I think, because it started as a thing where I didn't have to be outgoing. I got to explore without being scared." Frankie Cosmos allows Greta to express her emotions in a disarmingly direct way, overcoming social barriers. This communication is facilitated by her distinctive vocal style, which is tender, and at times sounds close to speech. She also happens to be a prolific poet of some talent: the songs may be short, but the lyrics for her recent album Next Thing amount to 1570 words. They are observational, and express the heartbreak of the transition from adolescence into adulthood.
The audience's response to Greta's introversion was fascinatingly one of immense enthusiasm and movement, and there was even a sing along to Buses Splash With Rain. I initially found her vocals to be balanced too far back in the mix, making the lyrics challenging to follow, but as the set continued, I came to realise that this reflects her personality and must have been intentional. The energy of the band was a foil to the dark subject matter. Surprisingly, the invitation into Greta's inner world didn't end up feeling depressing: it had the opposite effect live. I would have felt more than fulfilled if the gig had ended at this point, but we had an appointment with a parallel universe in the form of co-headliner Porches. The links between these two New York projects are many, even if the musical styles remain distinct. Greta contributes backing vocals to Pool, and is the long term romantic partner of front person Aaron Maine, whose younger brother David plays bass in Frankie Cosmos.
Another common thread is that both of their 2016 albums have gained the coveted 'Best New Music' accolade from Pitchfork. I was drawn to this gig by my own love for Greta's album, but came away with a new appreciation of Pool. I'm reminded of the first time I saw War on Drugs, after which it felt as if I understood Lost In The Dream for the first time. Both acts have an unexpected intensity live. Aaron is another introvert, and I wondered how he would externalise the dark emotions in the album. He's explained: "I am drawn to the more melancholic moments in life; the specific beauty and emotion that comes from that feeling." Yet, even more that Frankie Cosmos, he's brought the spirit of the dance to his live show. He's aided immensely by an incredibly tight sounding band, with drummer Cameron Wisch meriting particular praise, but his stagecraft was also surprisingly engaging.
Aaron's talked about his intention of creating an album which works both as a private experience to get lost in and as a shared, live event. In common with M83 this year, he's drawn on the spirit of the 80's, and the synthesiser sounds do much to inject joy into the show. Aaron appeared confident on stage: perhaps he drew on the crowd's excitement, and later in the set he talked about his pleasure at observing our response to Frankie Cosmos' set. The title track Pool and the opener on the album, Underwater, were two highlights, and examples of the intelligent use of autotune. In lieu of encores, which Aaron shuns, he performed three earlier songs; though they were unfamiliar to me, by this stage I was thoroughly immersed in his ethereal, sad world. Despite being linked by melancholy, Frankie Cosmos and Porches sound quite different. Yet, Aaron's falsetto voice is as central to his artistry as Greta's to her's, and the prospect of two fertile creative minds coming together in a shared project is an exiting prospect. In the meantime, don't miss their individual shows.
Porches Set List
- Glow
- Forgive*
- Mood
- Hour
- Braid
- Underwater
- Car
- Afterglow*
- Shaver
- Be Apart
- Pool
- Headsgiving*
- Skinny Trees*
- Prism*
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