Last year, Frankie Rose turned a lot of heads with her second LP Interstellar, a record that far exceeded the expectations of even those already well versed in her significant background as a prime instigator of contempo noise pop rumblings. That disc’s follow up is titled Herein Wild, her first effort for new label Fat Possum, and if lesser than the album that greatly raised Rose’s level of visibility, it still finds this indie auteur traversing a solid, if by now somewhat familiar, creative path.
A major aspect in the profile of Frankie Rose relates to her membership in Crystal Stilts, the Vivian Girls, and Dum Dum Girls, all prominent names in the indie/noise/dream pop scene. And her involvement came early in the lifespan of all three bands, with this circumstance lending Rose well-deserved credibility as an originator in this likeable and often very interesting backward-looking contempo scenario, even before she bothered to step out on her own.
But step out is just what Rose eventually did, making her initial stride with the ’09 45 “Thee Only One” b/w “Hollow Life.” And it’s a record that does tread some pretty well-trod real estate, but in a manner very similar to her stylistic cohorts, the combination of confidence and range continues to make the disc a winner.
The A-side combines an uptempo melody with strong doses of echo and guitar raucousness and then completes them with a breathy but always engaging vocal presence. In summation, it’s exactly the kind of inaugural statement you’d expect to find as part of the Slumberland Records roster, but the flip’s slower, organ-kissed examination of more classically gal-pop environs remains a highly pleasant departure from the bold indie pop-isms of “Thee Only One.”
Far from a mildly appealing B-side, “Hollow Life” proved sturdy enough as a tune that it served as the opener to Frankie Rose and the Outs, the singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist’s long-playing debut from 2010. And the title’s nod to a full band that worked in support of Rose’s talent was just simple truth in advertising; across eleven tracks the organic warmth of four women gathering in a room to make some very good music is surely in evidence, but what’s also clear is that Rose was the creative ringleader in the whole state of affairs.
And that’s why the huge growth spurt of Interstellar, released early last year by Slumberland under Rose’s name alone, wasn’t a total surprise. The album found well-known remix artist and Fischerspooner member Le Chev working as Rose’s producer/assistant as the focus of her music shifted away from the oft Spector-informed noise pop of the previous rec and into a far dreamier locale.
Frequently suggestive of later ‘80s Cure if they’d hybridized into a 4AD act of the same era, Interstellar was a highly enjoyable, if perhaps slightly overrated, listen. The guitar’s focus was de-emphasized but thankfully wasn’t defanged (far from it on the surfy “Moon in My Mind”), and the arrival of synths and drum programming was handled with vigor, complimenting Rose’s tunes. The result was most assuredly lush (and yes, quite different from Frankie Rose and the Outs), but it also didn’t drift off into an underwhelming ether. Rose’s songs still had a firm pop backbone.
Herein Wild is the follow-up, and is also Frankie Rose’s first release for new label Fat Possum. Its opening track “You for Me” finds her basically ditching the synth-pop ambiance of Interstellar but retaining that effort’s dream pop qualities as it weds this atmosphere to a guitar/bass/drums attack that’s tough and spry. And if this reads like a case of album No. 3 being a combination of LP’s No. 1 and 2, that’s not really accurate.
“You for Me” does unite the lush with the heavy, and yet the overall effect isn’t particularly remindful of Frankie Rose and the Outs, which at its core was garage-pop. Herein Wild’s opener is scaled much bigger, again recalling the blend of sweetness and distortion that was once such a key part of 4AD’s arsenal, though the full-band stomp at the beginning of the cut, along with the rhythmic power that’s retained throughout, does flesh things out a little differently.
As does Rose’s songwriting. If still generally rooted in a ‘60s/’80s split, her musical personality lacks any disconcerting debts to either decade, and as the three and a half minutes of “You for Me” speed briskly by, they mostly avoid the hues of a retro-trip. That’s not to infer that Frankie Rose is indifferent to precedent; the next track “Sorrow” is impossible to imagine without the innovations found on the more sophisto end of ‘80s indie pop landscape, but the tunefulness and execution are also seamlessly delivered, so that rather than merely throwing back, it connects like a serviceable extension.
This is especially true as the late-song string section kicks in, and “Sorrow” is ultimately less reflective of ‘80s indie pop and far more in synch with a handful of the more highly polished genre extenders that populated the ‘90s, a few of which found a home on the Spin Art label (in relation to this tune I can’t avoid thinking of the Pennsylvania band Suddenly, Tammy!).
“Into Blue” continues this similarity, and despite its title, the cut’s attitude can be fairly described as sunshiny. But it also holds bass playing that’s reminiscent of the more radio ready facets of ‘80s post punk, a feature finding Rose far from completely abandoning Interstellar’s stylistic leaps as Herein Wild progresses.
In truth, she’s often building upon them. “The Depths” has meaty bass that with a little more aggression could easily fit into a song by Savages, and while still weighted with Rose’s dream pop sensibility, it finds her tilling some significantly dark post punk soil. However, “Cliffs as High” shifts the album’s momentum into a contemplative and quite cinematic zone. While ambitious, it isn’t wholly satisfying.
Driven largely by piano, strings and Rose’s capable voice, “Cliffs as High” has a secure foundation, and while the overall prettiness is far from negligible, its departure does lack the resonance of Herein Wild’s best motions. “Minor Times” finds Rose returning to a more forthright pop mode, and while it’s not one of the LP’s strongest songs, it does highlight her abilities in sonic architecture.
That is, “Minor Times” is surprisingly layered for what at first seems like a mere synth-popish pleasantry, with a whole lot of guitar on the mix. And “Question/Reason” treats one of the disc’s best displays of indie pop crispness to some very savvy instrumentation, specifically keyboard tones that, when combined with Rose’s voice, managed to conjure up thoughts of Stereolab.
From there the uptempo and succinct “Heaven” holds a solid rhythmic gallop and flashes of surf guitars, the song making it abundantly clear that Rose lacks an interest in abandoning her roots in quest of another big breakthrough. In fact, it’s safe to say that some will consider “Heaven” to be a substantial bring-down from the boldness that oozed from the grooves of Interstellar.
But while Herein Wild is a slighter record than its predecessor, to my ear it manages to survive the potential pitfalls of following up a major artistic achievement. Unfortunately however, the late entry “Street of Dreams” does weaken the LP’s level of success. Where “Minor Times” is shrewdly constructed, here the song registers as just overstuffed, blending the synth pop with more surfy guitar additives and the album’s only instance of overly mannered vocals. And while unexpected, its late track digression into two minutes worth of woozy synth doodling is sadly unremarkable.
Happily, the dreamy strum of closer “Requiem,” which also includes some stately trumpet and chamber-like string work, ends the disc on a likeably minor note. Again, those expecting an improvement upon Interstellar will likely be disappointed. While Herein Wild does falter as it moves along, in terms of songwriting and focus it also finds Frankie Rose standing on ground that’s largely secure, with the valleys outnumbered by the peaks. It provides a mildly attractive, if far from breathtaking, listen.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
B-
