What’s a budding musician to do when his band makes two exquisite albums and then releases a less than stellar third record?  If you’re Paul Banks of Interpol, the solution is to be to change your name to Julian Plenti and release your solo debut, Julian Plenti is… Skyscraper.

The differences between the music Banks made with Interpol and Julian Plenti’s sound are readily apparent. While Banks’ trademark, wavering vocals are still present the background, the music plays a large role in creating a new atmospheres for this release. Whereas Interpol relied on rhythmic patterns and shouted vocals, Julian Plenti exhibits a much more alt-folk vibe. The use of acoustic guitars and empty space creates a much more thinned out sound than anything you’ll find on an Interpol record, giving Banks an opportunity to prove that he is capable of much more than the letdown that was 2007’s Our Love to Admire.

Beginning in a swirl with “Only If You Run,” we’re introduced to a happier sounding Banks than we might be used to, and it seems impossible to understand the direction this album will take.

After the blipy and occassionally incoherent “Fun that We Had,” we’re introduced to one of the most interesting angles of Julian Plenti. “Skyscraper” and “Madrid Song” feature a much softer side of Banks, as he utilizes empty space without remorse. The latter features simple phrasings and a delicate piano line, whereas the former plays off a fairly standard acoustic progression, while melding an orchestration of strings, a simple descending piano, and keeping Banks much more removed than we’re used to.

“Girl on the Sporting News” plays like a fairly well put together combination of Cat Power and Banks’ main band, while “On the Esplanade” doesn’t seem too far from early Pink Floyd.

There is a lot to take in when listening to this album; and while there is much to discuss, there’s fairly little to complain about. Julian Plenti is… Skyscraper reaffirms Banks as a musician and proves that he has the potential to stand on his own.

Head to Julian Plenti’s MySpace to check out a few tracks and tell me what you think about Paul Banks’ new sound.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 6th, 2009 at 1:56 pm and is filed under Leisure, Vox Populi. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.