Rockin' Our Turntable: Julian Plenti

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 31, 2009 4:20PM

Julian Plenti is actually Interpol's Paul Banks and, unsurprisingly his debut Julian Plenti Is...Skyscraper sounds a lot like, well, Interpol. There is a difference though. Interpol, as their career has progressed, has continued to paint themselves into a corner, creating work that was ever more mannered and ever more lacking in any breathing space or spontaneity. Banks doesn't exactly break the mold on his solo debut, but he has recaptured some of the swing that made Interpol's Turn on the Bright Lights such a pleasure to listen to.

We know that when artists break from the confines of their 9-to-5 main gig it's often a sign they want to try something new artistically and they tend to blanch at the thought that their new endeavor should in any way be compared to what came before. We suspect Banks doesn't suffer from this malaise since he is so obviously comfortable traversing the same stylistic path and seems to take delight losing himself in the echo chamber of his past.

So yes, Banks treads familiar ground. But he also makes it fun to listen to him again. The slow build of "Skyscraper" and stuttering then growing drums of "Games For Days" pack an explosive wallop. Opening track "Only If You Run" lumbers along amiably before sucking you in with its delicately crooned chorus. Bankss reaplies a bit of color to scheme that had been growing ever more monochromatic and while the result might not be a skyscraper it does seem to reach greater heights than Interpol has in quite a few years.

Julian Plenti Is...Skyscraper is out next Tuesday, August 4

MP3: Julian Plenti "Games For Days"
MP3: Julian Plenti "Fun That We Have"