There is something genuinely pure about the beauty of Herein Wild, where Frankie Rose channels her inner punk energy and fieriness to conceive a gorgeous dream pop record. Behind some of Herein Wild’s prettiest tunes is a sense of rawness which lends so much character to the album.
For instance, the album opener “You For Me” kicks off with garage rock drumming and has guitars that are noisy and messy. But when Rose’s vocals kick in—all melodic and dreamy—in a textbook dream-pop fashion, its surprising (and unconventional) marriage with the music sounds just perfect. Even the Cure-inspired “Question/Reason,” amid its melodious playfulness, has a punk-like energy which is electrifying.
Facets of Herein Wild make you think of the band Lush, specifically how that influential British act incorporated noise pop into wonderfully luscious soundscapes. This can be seen portrayed beautifully on the album’s more ethereal cuts “Into Blue,” “Minor Times,” and “Sorrow.”
On the other hand, some of Herein Wild’s tracks like “Cliffs As High” and “Requiem“ show similarities with ’90s underground acts like Throwing Muses, in the way they created satisfyingly melodious slow numbers that have firecracker energy.
“Cliffs As High,” without any drums or guitars, has mysterious and almost ominous-sounding strings for music that are strangely beautiful. And although Rose’s singing isn’t conventionally sweet, it sounds absolutely dulcet in this, the most interesting song on the album.
“Requiem,” as a lot of album-closers go, is a simple “winding-down” acoustic number. But Rose’s singing here has so much sparkle that this cut bristles with spirit and vigor. And the triumphant trumpet that comes out of left field… such a delightful surprise!
Rose has some great ideas that she brings to life with brilliant execution on Herein Wild. And the ideas are diverse. From the disco-inspired garage rock of “Street Of Dreams” to the openly goth, Joy Division-esque “The Depths,” to Rose’s cheeky use of autotune (whoa!) throughout the album, the surprises keep on coming and are delightful. On the surface, Herein Wild is an unassuming indie record. But it is undoubtedly more complex and sophisticated than it makes you believe. Such is the pureness of the beauty of Herein Wild.
