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Mar 15, 2023 Web Exclusive By Andy Von Pip

A founding member of Vivian Girls, drummer/vocalist with Crystal Stilts as well as playing with Dum Dum Girls and Beverly, Brooklyn-based Frankie Rose was once dubbed queen of the lo-fi scene. “I always laugh when people say ‘the lo-fi scene,’” she once said. “I’m not so sure it ever actually existed. I’m fairly sure it was just a figment of one music journalist’s imagination.” After forming Frankie Rose and the Outs she then went solo and began expanding her sonic palette, embracing subtle, elegant, emotionally charged dream pop. Her new album, Love As Projection, is her first in six years. Recorded with producer Brandt Gassman and mixed with long-term collaborator Jorge Elbrecht, it sees Rose embrace a sleek and sophisticated electronic pop aesthetic.

The album opens with “Sixteen Ways,” which has the air of a cuddlier version of Ladytron colliding with Tears for Fears. It’s followed by the single “Anything,” which is a prime example of what Rose does best, blending pulsating electronica and dreamy evocative pop with soaring indelible melodies. What’s also impressive is how Rose structures the songs and layers the vocal harmonies. The slow-burning “Saltwater Girl” has echoes of Lush in their prime, whereas the towering celestial beauty of “DOA” is up there with some of Cocteau Twins’ finest moments. “Molotov in Stereo” doesn’t quite catch fire as the title might suggest and it’s generally the album’s more up-tempo tracks that really fire the imagination such as on “Come Back” which artfully fuses indie, electro and dance, and manages to sound “of the ’80s” yet also completely contemporary. It’s an accomplished return for Rose, who has crafted an album brimming with iridescent beauty that shimmers across a meticulously crafted dream pop soundscape. (www.frankierose.info)

Author rating: 7.5/10