Julian Plenti -‘Julian Plenty Is…Skyscraper.’ (Matador)
So…just in case you hadn’t realised, this is Paul Banks from Interpol. The press release with this album from Matador makes no mention of Interpol, presumably so that it’s considered on its’ own merits (and because the last Interpol album wasn’t anywhere near as good as the first two).
But the good news is that Banks/Plenti has got his inspiration working again and this is certainly not tracks that the rest of the band thought weren’t good enough to put out under the Interpol name (mind you, they’d hardly be likely to put that in the press release either). When Interpol first appeared near the beginning of the decade, I was one of many who felt that here was a band who’d been almost designed for them, wearing their influences – chiefly The Cure, The Smiths and Joy Division – very proudly on their sleeves. Thing is, while the voice remains the same, the record sounds more American, like he has found not only his own singing voice but his own space.
Several listens later, I’m really enjoying this album, regardless of who he might be a member of. It’s a fantastic collection of songs with no fat on them, no self-indulgence and clocks in at around 37 minutes. The reassurance is that this artist and this album stands on its’ own merits. I still have no idea what the title is meant to mean, but this is a sound album nonetheless. Right from the opening beats of album opener ‘Only If You Run’ here is an album that deserves to do well, and deserves to be heard.
***1/2
Julian Plenti -‘Games For Days.’
Julian Plenty Is…Skyscraper is out now on Matador