- by Chris Reynolds
- Wednesday, August 05, 2009
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Julian Plenti is not who we think he is. He moonlights as Paul Banks, lead singer of Interpol, from time to time. But this isn’t about Interpol, or Paul Banks for that matter. Julian Plenti is a different entity entirely and doesn’t Mr Banks want us to realise?
Aside from the obvious change of name and persona, Banks has set about flushing out the gloom of Interpol and breathing a bit of brightness in to his portfolio. In short ‘Julian Plenti is....Skyscraper’ is an ambitious attempt to give Banks his individuality back.
At times this is a varied and brilliant piece of work. ‘Madrid Song’ is a heart-on-sleeve ballad which dovetails simplicity with endless depth. ‘Girl on the Sporting News’ is a Queens of the Stone Age desert jam which makes a point of making the mundane utterly riveting.
There are moments though where Plenti strays back to what he knows best, ’Only if you Run’ could fit happily into Interpol’s latest album while‘Games for Days’ sees Plenti exert the same sort of powerful and straining vocals that Banks would use in ‘The Heinrich Maneuver’ or ‘C’mere’. This isn’t an overwhelming side to the album though, it just adds an accessible edge to it.
It’s the introspective and quiet side to this album which gives Plenti a footprint of his own. ‘On the Esplanade’ is a gentle track which strums along with subtlety and poise while ‘Skyscraper’ feels much more epic than the 199 seconds it enjoys. It represents a journey into the deepest realms of Plenti’s mind, diving into the nooks and crannies via the atmospheric strings.
In this vein, ‘H’ is a piano jam haunted by background voices with the lack of vocals again proving the most satisfying moments are hidden within the music and not the words.
Julian Plenti has not only made his mark here but most importantly he’s stepped out of Paul Banks’ more illustrious shadow. Interpol may take most of the plaudits in his career but it’s Julian Plenti who reveals the true Paul Banks.
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