Published
It really annoys me that so many of the all-female bands that brought rock to life in the first decade of this century have disappeared. Bands such as Dum Dum Girls and Vivian Girls brought a breath of fresh air to a scene largely dominated by men which, in truth, has disappeared too. Two bands Frankie Rose ended up working with in one way or another — she played drums with the former and wrote a song for the latter. And the truth is, she is the only one who still has a career going. Not just as a solo artist, either, but also alongside Matthew Hord in Fine Place. Her music was always a little darker than the others’, though. Perhaps that is why she is still putting out records regularly.
‘Hila’ remains firmly immersed in the eighties-flavoured synth-pop that dominated ‘Love as Projection’, the album she released in 2023. But there are significant changes here. Throughout this album, we find a Frankie Rose who has no trouble venturing into less obvious territory. Just listen to “Rainman”, an almost ambient instrumental that transports you to a night-time drive through Los Angeles. And since I am reading ‘The Shards’, which is set in that city in the early eighties, it has really hit the spot. As has the title track, where the influence of Cocteau Twins comes into play. That becomes even more pronounced on “TV Star”, a wonderful song on which Frankie Rose almost turns into Elizabeth Fraser.
If there is one thing Frankie Rose has proved throughout her career, it is her talent for writing great pop songs. And she comes up with quite a few here. There is “Cant Be Wrong”, a little delight that dives headfirst into eighties pop. And I have to digress for a moment and say that it really reminded me of what Kristin Gundred from Dum Dum Girls did on Kristin Kontrol’s debut album. A record that, inexplicably, went largely unnoticed. The point is, this track immerses itself in the more American strain of synth-pop being made in that decade. The same goes for “Return to Dust”, where the beats grow faster and more forceful without swallowing the melody. And its chorus is a real winner.
Darkness is also a good friend of Frankie Rose. You can hear that right from the opening “Olo”, a song built around dense synthesisers and a drum machine that appears now and then. Once again, Rose’s voice seems to emerge from a very ethereal world. That same approach to more restrained, synth-driven post-punk also surfaces on “Shadow Twin”, a gorgeous song in which the influence of Cocteau Twins appears again. And do not overlook the more exuberant “Best Of Times”, with its wonderfully nocturnal saxophone. Or the delicate “Velvet Refrain”, which closes the album in the dreamiest way, invoking the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby”. Or perhaps The Jesus and Mary Chain’s “Just Like Honey”, since they have recently been on tour with them.
77/100