Good evening. Friko means good morning. They correct themselves immediately. As an apology, they mark Whenever Forever with an opening that seems sincere enough to work and clumsy enough to mark their tracks as unique. Wry smiles and insecurities feel very firm on these five songs, the cluster of charms that come from their IN_OUT intro pushes aside the indie-pop label Friko find themselves associated with. Harsher than most sounds in that genre, and far more interesting too. Whenever Forever has a lighter quality to it even if its tracks are attempting to feel a little angrier than most working away in the dream pop-like genre. Echoed calls of vocal interest are marked by the variety Friko can showcase.
There is an element of The Hoosiers and the lighter side of variance that comes from such a trio. Friko, too, are a trio. They are dependable with their style. Pacing is the key to a track as lyrically simple as IN_OUT. Knowing when to call it, to cut the track off or to add another layer of noise to a loud and rising track. It is an earworm of a track, one that has a vague semblance of some track that lingers on the tip of the tongue, and with no hope of reaching that answer, becomes wholly unique. It breaks into spoken words and soft piano touches, something which Friko relish in. Their knee-jerk pacing is interesting and inherent to what they can offer. Broad spreads of talent are important for up-and-coming artists. Friko is no different to that importance.
Half as Far is key then, to that variety. A sombre juxtaposition to the frantic first track. Acoustic-driven this second track is, it does display a great range of qualities inherent to Friko. Broader strokes, and enjoyable performances from each of the key members – Bailey Minzenberger, Luke Stamos and Niko Kapetan – all of them provide a collaboration that feels deeply personal and independent to the listener. That is likely the most important part of Can I See U Again, a broad track that denotes the loss of relationships and the broader, meaningful prose that comes from that is as delicate as the strings that build it up. Holdin’ On People does much the same, a clear sign of which sound the band hopes to pursue.
For a nice selection of tracks that hope to dedicate themselves to who Friko are and what they are capable of, Whenever Forever is a good array of talents. They are the starting pistol being shot off into a sky filled with gunfire, and Friko certainly has what it takes to stand out above the rest. A delicate string section from the title track rounds out this swift and interesting EP, one that gives a smorgasbord of sounds Friko could pursue. By the end of this brief release, it is fairly clear as to where they hope to mark their next endeavour. Rightly so, they have correctly identified a sound that works for them and will, hopefully, hunt that down to no end.
