Frankie Rose – Herein Wild (Fat Possum)



This was another album to slip past me towards the end of 2013. Frankie Rose is someone I’ve been a big fan of since I first came across her drumming with Crystal Stilts in 2009. I must say, of her three solo albums to date I’ve probably liked her first one the most (the garage pop beauty Frankie Rose & The Outs). Having said that, her last album Interstellar contained some great headrush tunes too, a kind of 1980s jangle pop beamed in from a space satellite.

Herein Wildtakes that idea on a step, adding New Order style euphoria to tales of longing and nostalgia, with roaming basslines and pillow-soft drumbeats.

‘Into blue’ is the one song I find myself coming back to over and over. It’s a perfect, simple pop song about being younger and in love which contains the most irresistible elevation to the chorus. It’s practically guaranteed to have you rushing for the nearest dancefloor and I’d be amazed if it doesn’t feature soon in a key scene of the latest Hollywood rom com du jour. (That's not a putdown, I hope it is - only the finest pop songs qualify for those clinch moments.)

’Cliffs as high’ deserves special mention too – the gorgeous string sequence would put it up to all those neo-classical dudes.

And ‘Heaven’ has a couple of great Johnny Marr power chords in among its unusually belligerent arrangement.

Overall, I’m not sure the album is her strongest work but I still love her for doing her own thing, with distinctiveness and character.

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