Video: Frankie Cosmos, ‘Duet’

S.Lo on July 20th, 2018

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Frankie Cosmos (Photo by Matthew James-Wilson)

Do one-sided relationships count? In Frankie Cosmos’ new video for “Duet” (directed by Eliza Doyle), frontwoman Greta Kline falls in deep romantic fantasy with her practice dummy in CPR class. Reminiscent of the classic ’80s flick “Mannequin” starring Kim Cattrall and Andrew McCarthy, Kline’s dummy transforms in her view into a handsome young man (played by Charles O’Leary). As she awkwardly shapes her generous affections around her stiff partner, the sweet twee-pop song underlies the one-sided fixation, “I love your eyes / They’re very blue / That is why I look at you / I look at you… ” A dissonant interlude acknowledges that this is all a little mental for a brief moment before falling back into the fantasy Kline indulges with a night out on the town accompanied by her man-dummy. The scene then cuts back to the dance studio as Kline gets frustrated at holding the entire weight of the relationship without being held or danced with. And the song soundtracks this, “I know I like you / But I don’t know what for.” After she leaves the fantasy, the man-dummy animates for a brief moment, flailing like Pinocchio having just had his strings cut. By the end, everyone (living and almost living) returns to reality and Kline is a bit sad at losing her object of affection. It’s all perhaps a good metaphor for relationships based on rescue. Are they really relationships? And thus, back to question one.

Frankie Cosmos’ new album, “Vessel,” is available now on Sub Pop.

||| Watch: The video for “Duet”