Tag: interpol

Julian Plenti – Julian Plenti is…Skyscraper

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jplentiRating: ★★★½☆

Julian Plenti isn’t really a new band, rather it’s the sidecar for Interpol frontman Paul Banks.  His latest release on Matador, Julian Plenti is…Skyscraper, attempts to re-up the ante for his career, and honestly, that of his band.   After a brief departure into a more mainstream approach Banks is seen hear , expectedly, treading the ground he’s walked upon for so long now.

Opening track “Only if You Run” demonstrates that despite going it alone, his heart is never too far away from his mainstay. However, the trickling guitar lines show a touch of brightness, which also seems to collide with the lyrical content.  He does however bring back that recognizable throaty vocal when he shouts “surprise” near the end of the track.

“Skyscraper” begins with a great deal of promise for new direction, as punctuated guitar strumming is accompanied by symphonic flourishes.  It’s a brooding number, one that might benefit greatly for some strong vocals, and just as you think there won’t be any, Banks enters the picture.  Haunting as he can be, it would have been nice to see him go a bit further in this direction on the entire record.

“Games for Days” probably sounds exactly like what you would expect from this album had you heard nothing else other than the involvement of Banks.  It’s as close as you get here to an Interpol cover song, although his work in the chorus does seem as if he tried to push himself a bit into new space, especially with the guitar work that crashes at the end, coming off a bit like a heavier version of The Killers. Of course, this song backs up to “Madrid Song” which is about as minimal of a song as you can carry on with.  It’s all piano and soundbytes; it would have been nice to see the album here.

But the thing is, you could see this train coming from miles away with the blogosphere telling you of the arrival of new work from Paul Banks.  Those of you who were die-hard fans of Interpol were salivating, and there are definitely moments here that shine, or rather give off a faint sparkle.  Still, aside from interesting moments such as “Unwind” with the blasting horns and marching vocals, the album is fairly predictable in regards as to the direction that you would expect it to venture.  This isn’t entirely a bad thing, after all, the last record was sub-par.  Julian Plenti is a solid reminder that the forces of Interpol are still something to be excited about as we head into the future.

New Tunes from Julian Plenti

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jpJulian Plenti is the new name for Interpol frontman Paul Banks. He is set to debut his new album Julian Plenti is…Skyscraper on August 4th via Matador Records. I wonder if it will be in the realm of people like Albert Hammond Jr and be an Interpol lite album?  Based on this track, it seems JP is going off on his own a bit, which is a good thing in our book.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/julian-plenti-games-for-days.mp3]

Download: Julian Plenti – Games for Days [MP3]

Magnetic Morning – A.M.

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Rating: ★★★★☆

When the rumor mill put Sam Fogarino of Interpol with Adam Franklin of Swervedriver together, no knew exactly what to expect from the duo.  Both men have achieved varying levels of success, but could they put it altogether?  Simply put, the answer is an absolute yes! Here it is ladies and gents, Magnetic Morning.

Immediately the band opens with “Spring Unseen,” a gentle number where vocal harmonies seem to burst into the song like flowers in the Spring.  Franklin’s trademark voice sounds incredibly familiar, yet he seems to have grown with it as time has passed.  Here the band sets up to the stage for the entire album, allowing all space to be filled sonically with ambient washes of guitar.  It’s a tactic that will remain prevalent throughout your listening experience to this album.

Oddly, the music seems both dated and refreshing.  There isn’t a lot out there right now in the realm of dramatic pop soundscapes, at least not a whole lot that will move you.  Despite the fact that it seems like a missing step-child in the world of indie-rock, it still comes out as remarkably fresh.  Every minute of the album is worth steeping yourself inside, as you wait carefully, quietly even, for the song to unfold before you.  This entire album will aimlessly float through your brain as the melodies become a part of you.

Looking at the song titles alone will show you precisely what the album is about, conceptually speaking.  It seems to be that Mr. Franklin is continuing to search for the answers, as we all inevitably are.  He approaches the subject matter with a perfect simplicity, one that will surely allow listeners to associate with his words.  Not to mention, a few songs seemingly deal with loss, of a friend or loved one you will have to find out.

Ultimately, this is an album that affects your mood, regardless of where you find yourself in the day.  It’s a somber affair, forcing, or asking rather, that listeners take a minute, or twenty, out of their day to let these songs invest themselves in your soul.  In the end, you’ll be glad you found the time to sink quietly into this wonderful album.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/05-no-direction.mp3]

Download: Magnetic Morning – No Direction [MP3]

The Stills – Oceans Will Rise

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Rating: ★★½☆☆

Following their 2003 full-length debut, Logic Will Break Your Heart, The Stills received critical praise on par with their Montreal counterparts, and in the following years toured with Interpol, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Kings of Leon (with whom they’ll tour again next month). Yet on their third album, Oceans Will Rise, they have produced an overblown, overreaching record that attempts, to an overwhelming effect, to make itself heard.

As evidenced by its title, and songs like “Snakecharming the Masses,” “Panic,” “Hands on Fire,” and “Dinosaurs” Oceans Will Rise is full of grandiose proclamations. On “Snow in California,” singer Tim Fletcher sings “Oh the world is changing / So rally up your friends.” “Snakecharming the Masses” includes the line “Bodies full of rattling bones / Fall into a pitch black hole.” Hamelin sings, “There’s blood on the lines / Of every page I turn / When the ones you love / Are the ones you burn,” on “Being Here.”

Lyrics like these – amorphous, vague, far-reaching but directed to nobody – reveal a band trying far too hard to evoke a response in the listener (see: Coldplay). The music tends to follow suit: mid-tempo, droning, gradually building in intensity, still aping the precision of Interpol, but ultimately forgettable. Credit should be given to drummer Julien Blais for breaking up the monotony and attempting to light a creative spark on “Don’t Talk Down,” and the otherwise outrageous “Snakecharming the Masses.”

At their best, which they are on “Everything I Build,” The Stills, while still lyrically ambiguous, trade in their musical posturing for a slow, muted approach that serves them – until an unfortunately out-of-place bridge – much better than their failed attempts at catharsis via grand chorus. A compliment, if slightly backhanded: The album’s strongest song is “Eastern Europe,” where the melody is so immediately memorable and catchy that it doesn’t matter what the band’s singing about.

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