CD of The Week

Once a solo artist, always a solo artist at heart? Well for Paul Banks, that is somewhat true. He started out making music as Julian Plenti a few years before he joined Interpol and wasn't initially looking to contribute as a singer or songwriter. Now, with four successful Interpol albums released, Banks' unique voice and lyrics have become an integral part of their sound - despite the bulk of additional songwriting by guitarist Daniel Kessler and former bassist Carlos Dengler. Julian Plenti (Banks' early alter ego) may live in the past, but Banks decided to release his solo work only more recently as a way to fulfill that creative endeavor he'd started back in the late 90s. In 2009, he released the full-length debut Julian Plenti Is... Skyscraper, and earlier this year, he released an EP, Julian Plenti Lives, which consisted of a few exceptional covers and original work. He has since decided to drop the moniker for the release of his new LP, Banks, in order to separate the past from the present, as most of the songs on it have been written in more recent years.

So what does it sound like? Well, it's driven by some pretty amazing beats, with lighter melodies, excellent instrumentals, and a raw emphasis on Banks' voice and lyrics. Certain verses will boldly catch and hook listeners, like "You only hold me like the canyon holds the stream " in "Over My Shoulder," and "Can we waste some more time just colliding in space?/ No matter how high we set the bar " at the end of "Summertime Is Coming." Banks has an incredible way of emphasizing certain words or even syllables in a word that really makes it is own and adds so much character and power exactly where it needs to be in order to make the song both memorable and timeless. You might catch this in "The Base," with the variety of ways he sings "So Steep" and the ever-so-slight delay before the start of each verse in "Young Again." There are 'plenti' of offbeat arrangements and subtle, almost hidden (like put on your headphones and turn it up) elements, such as his count-off "1-2 " before another line in "Over My Shoulder" (just once throughout the whole song). In "Another Chance," he uses an interesting sample that he basically builds a whole song around. It's catchy, daring, and twisted and I like it. "Arise, Awake" also has a well-placed sample about love that plays extremely well with the suggested meaning of the song. It is endearing, fun, and different.

Banks obviously has a lot of personal fire with which to fuel his own creative urges. This album is full of strong songwriting and a unique edge that has succeeded in separating this effort from what he has contributed to Interpol so far. Hopefully he'll continue to fuel that edge.

Banks will perform at <span contenteditable="true" c2f="true" id="18" type="LINK" name="ticketfly 2">The Trocadero</span> on November 10th.