Frankie Cosmos – Inner World Peace

Frankie Cosmos's fifth studio album, Inner World Peace, progresses like setting up a fireplace in an antiquated mansion, starting as if by candlelight, delicately reflecting, before a comforting warmth is introduced and builds to deliciously wistful storytelling. Tracks like Abigail and Empty Head are tentative and sensitive, opening up to the listener and almost inviting them to do the same. Meanwhile, Fragments and Prolonging Babyhood tonally present a summer nostalgia. 

Inner World Peace expands 2000s indie twee by recognising the existence of guitar pedals and, in general, the lower register. Aftershook moves from melting 70s guitars into a crunchy stylophone-esque solo, and, combined with gently raw vocals, sounds endearingly as if The Moldy Peaches had fully explored their instruments' potential. 

However, sometimes this rawness and emphasis on a treble-y tone becomes grating, with diminished chords becoming harsh and unpleasant instead of creating tension. The vocal opening of Magnetic Personality is aggravating, which is unfortunate as later the instrumental gets to let loose in a really enjoyable manner.

Is Inner World Peace going to change the history of music? Probably not. But it will absolutely become a comfort album for many.

Listen to: Abigail, Wayne, Prolonging Babyhood