So why is Frankie Cosmos’ Close It Quietly on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
It’s a fun challenge when I really dig a band or artist but have a hard time describing the music they create. Such is the case with Frankie Cosmos.
Quick aside on Frankie and crew: Frankie Cosmos started out as the solo project of singer and songwriter Greta Kline and then became a four-piece band.
Close It Quietly is dreamy pop, it’s the gentlest head bobbing indie rock you can imagine, it’s Kline’s magical and breathy vocals, it’s smart and quirky yet relatable song writing. And it’s an album with zero weak points, that plays just as well running front to back as on shuffle mode. It’s 21 short and wonderfully sweet tracks that float by with seeming effortlessness.
“Moonsea” is kind of jangle lounge (did I just coin that term? I’m gonna super not look it up on Google and assume I did!) and then does this incredible thing where – when it’s picking up steam and momentum in a cool but typical fashion – the tempo purposely decelerates, providing a unique vibe that happily plays against your expectations.
“So Blue” is arguably the most “rocking” song on Close It Quietly, but it’s gentle and chill rock without necessarily “reading” as soft rock. Most importantly: it’s really good.
“A Joke” has a gorgeous melody and is absolutely suits my ideal for an indie pop track. Greta Kline’s lyrics speak to her intelligence and introspective wit. For example:
Flowers don’t grow in an organized way
Why should I?
Personal stuff that has something to do with Frankie Cosmos’ Close It Quietly
Recently, I covered Murphy Law’s The Best of Times, labeling it #418 of the best 1,000 albums ever. It was released in 1991, and I probably heard it for the first time in late 1992 or early 1993.
I mention because it’s the kind of album – loud, raucous, full tilt punk rock – that probably best “hits” most people if they experience it for the first time when they’re relatively young. That’s certainly true for me. Close It Quietly, an album for which I hope it’s obvious that I greatly admire, was released in 2019.
I’ll save you the math and just state that by way of its release date, I experienced Close It Quietly for the first time at a… not as young age. And it’s the kind of album – for me at least – that is hitting me best for where I’m at, age-wise.
This is probably not true for everyone; I’m sure that many people of all ages will greatly dig what Frankie Cosmos is throwing down. But I do think it’s a mature-sounding album, an intelligent and subtle album which will hit best for listeners who are open to that kind of sound.
The crude argument here, I’m realizing is “young = loud racket good; old = chill quiet good,” which is honestly not the argument I’m trying to make at all, actually.
I’m laughing while I’m writing these words.
Hopefully you get it, but if not, maybe come back when you’re a little older and see if you feel differently.
Some stats & info about Frankie Cosmos – Close It Quietly
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Pop Music, Indie Pop, Lounge Music, New York Bands
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 4 out of 5 stars
- When was Close It Quietly released? 2019
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #411 out of 1,000
Frankie Cosmos’ Close It Quietly on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from Frankie Cosmos’ Close It Quietly that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
Selfish as you are cannot be undone – you wouldn’t let me let myself become a person.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.