More about: Frankie Cosmos

Frankie Cosmos’ new album ‘Inner World Peace’ does a rare thing. Unlike many albums released lately, Inner World Peace feels like a whole, complete, cohesive project. Every song is a centrepiece, every lyric is delicately constructed, every harmony feels natural. This is an album which was sculpted to work as a whole and boy, does it work. 

Instrumentally minimal, Inner World Peace ruminates on what it means to feel seen and simultaneously feel invisible. ‘If it’s raining and I can’t feel it, is it raining?’ asks track ‘Fruit Stand’, perfectly epitomising the sense of emptiness, the sense of doubt and of quiet anxiety which haunts the zeitgeist. Despite this emptiness, however, ‘Fruit Stand’ feels emphatically hopeful, asking what it means to be alone without offering a sense of extreme loneliness. Sonically tranquil ‘Empty Head’ washes over you like a cool, calm breeze, eventually slipping into the brightness of a hopeful future as soft, psychedelic guitars and punchy drums enter. Meanwhile, ‘Abigail’ stands as a symbol for a version of yourself you don’t want back, the band once again sharing such intimate thoughts it feels as though you have been granted unique access to their childhood diaries. 

Whispery tones, understated guitars, charming lyrics and drifting melodies, this album provides easy breathing space for an introspective audience, a snowglobe of quiet to consider blissful childhoods, tricky coming-of-ages and the uncertainty of adulthood. ‘I try to relax in case I make it ‘till old age’ whispers track ‘Wayne’, whilst ‘Sky Magnet’ confesses ‘the urge to hit snooze on everything’. These intimate, simultaneously universal, concerns are the sound of apprehension and of generational exhaustion. But these tracks do not feel tired or weary. ‘Sky Magnet’ still holds an energy and vivacity, whilst ‘Wayne’ still offers the brightness of all good bedroom indie. 

The band’s unique sound of breezy guitar-rock paired with simply beautiful, intimate lyrics make this album truly feel as though it was shaped by a delicate hand. ‘I had a magnetic personality once, but I got too tired to keep it up’ confesses Frankie Cosmos, perfectly exemplifying a generation's hopes and fears and everything in-between. This is simply personal, deeply poetic music without cliches. 

Inner World Peace is out now

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More about: Frankie Cosmos