Frost Children’s SISTER represents something of a big swing for the sibling duo. Their first three releases all leaned into glitchy hyperpop. In these songs, catchy hooks sometimes landed right on top of irregular, very electronic beats. Or walls of distorted guitar would infect a previously quiet track. It was confrontational and striking music, but perhaps not the kind that would get a roomful of people dancing. Hearth Room (2023) marked a significant departure, relying primarily on non-electronic instruments and adopting at least somewhat more conventional songwriting. SISTER retains that interest in songwriting but brings back the electronics.
The three singles released so far provide a solid preview of what Frost Children are doing this time out. “CONTROL” opens with a strong vocal melody and a catchy, yet minimal, backing track featuring simple drums and a burbling bass. The chorus is as glitchy and weird as the duo’s earlier material, but the song also features a soaring bridge that’s legitimately pretty. “Falling” is even catchier, with a pulsing synth melody as well as a big, hooky vocal. The beat stays in a solid four-on-the-floor groove throughout, making for a true synthpop dance track.
“WHAT IS FOREVER FOR” features a similar combination of a synth hook and a strong vocal melody. The tempo is a bit slower, though, appropriate for the more contemplative lyrics and mood of the track. Once again, the bridge features the track’s biggest vocal hook, which is an interesting choice. Clearly, though, Frost Children have decided to go all in on melody and steadier beats.
SISTER still features plenty of interesting, sometimes even curious, musical choices. The opening track, “Position Famous”, begins with a simple two-note guitar pattern and shouted lyrics. It’s a classic format, where the track builds up to a big, explosive moment later on.
“Position Famous” holds off on this moment for so long that listeners may start to wonder if it’s ever going to happen. Eventually, though, the snare drum roll begins, followed by a pulsing dance beat that emerges under a new melody. Oddly, though, the vocals drop out entirely at this point, leaving the synth piano melody to drive the rest of the song. It’s as if Frost Children are giving listeners what they expect and then almost snatching away the catharsis.
“Sister” begins with acoustic guitar strumming and a story of the siblings’ childhood. In the second verse, sparse synth drums join in, but the acoustic vibe remains. Rather than a bridge, “Sister” features a glitchy electronic collage over its final minute, but Frost Children at least deign to give listeners one more chorus on top of all the noise.
Closer “2 L0VE” appears to be designed as a test of listeners’ patience. It’s built around a vocal sample of the title, as the words “Two Love” are repeated and electronically pitch-shifted into all sorts of different registers, on top of each other and throughout the nearly six-minute-long track. The beats and melody around the title sample are pretty decent, and for a while, the song is blessedly sample-free. It returns before the end of the track; however, it is possibly more annoying than before.
A couple of guest spots break up the record nicely. “Ralph Lauren” features a rap from Babymorocco and is styled as a minimalist Soundcloud rap track. Frost Children are not particularly good rappers, although I did enjoy the bit where they say “clap” instead of using an actual clapping sound. When Babymorocco finally shows up at the end, the flow improves noticeably.
“RADIO” features a strong vocal performance from Kim Petras. Frost Children go full dance-pop with the track, and even the sleepy rap verses don’t detract from the Petras moments. It’s a terrifically catchy song that shows what Frost Children can do when they want to go that route. “Don’t Make Me Cry” is similarly hooky, operating as a sort of synthpop power ballad. Big vocals and simple synth hooks are the order of the day, and it works well.
If there’s an issue with SISTER, it’s that Frost Children haven’t quite figured out the balance between engaging songwriting and just reaching for the big hooks. Too often, those hooks are catchy in the moment but lack the lasting power of genuine pop music earworms. The more intriguing musical moments tend to occur in the less catchy songs. That leaves the interesting ideas searching for a big hook, while the big hooks remain stuck in more generic synthpop arrangements. In certain places, like “RADIO” and “Sister”, the duo find the right combination to make the songs truly memorable. SISTER ultimately feels more like a transitional album than a complete success in a new style.