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Written by Luke Oram
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Sunday, 01 November 2009 19:49 |
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Don’t ask me. I don’t get it either.
JULIAN PLENTI is the moniker of Interpol’s frontman Paul Banks. Turns out he’s not as depressed as we all thought.
As his first solo album aside from the depressed post-punk of Interpol, 'Julian Plenti Is... Skyscraper' is an interesting journey through the catalogue of Banks’ vast influences.
His normally disaffected Ian Curtis baritone is given an eclectic backdrop, from the plodding bass-driven opener of deconstructed art-jam ‘Only If You Run’, to the title track’s haunting lullaby 'Skyscraper', a dark and brooding joint punctuated by burst of strings and theatre piano. |
Musically, the album takes it’s twists and turns, as if Banks is trying to exorcise all the demons he couldn’t in Interpol. Some songs are disconnected, haunted and ghostly ballads, like ‘Madrid’ and ‘Girl On The Sporting News’, a strangely charming television stalker ballad. 'Julian Plenti Is... Skyscraper' also has its own upbeat art-house romps in the form of the sinister single ‘Games For Days’, which channels a disturbed Bloc Party – ‘Unwind’ actually borders on happy, complete with carnival trumpets and gothic choral chorus.
Acoustic downturn ‘On The Esplanade’ sees Banks get all James-Taylor broken-hearted over scratchy violins and old war movie transmissions, before the mechanical motions of 'Fly As You Might'. For Banks’ first expedition into the solo playhouse... 'Julian Plenti Is... Skyscraper' is a sprawling and interesting music-as-art exhibition. Don’t come here if you want the gall and goth of Interpol – Julian Plenti aptly shows his record collection extends well beyond the dark side of life.
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