BANKS - The Altar

BANKS
The Altar
2016
Spotify

The Altar is the sophomore album from BANKS, a follow up to her widely heralded Goddess. This album however is not a collection of the best tracks she has been honing for years like Goddess was so it gives it a much more nimble feel. She is able to go places she couldn't before and really explore what the "goddess" persona means when you've been on the pedestal for awhile. It's an exploration of love, lovers, pain and loss. "Fuck With Myself" with it's percussive instrumentation and trippy vocal contortions is an early standout, but "Lovesick" feels more tailor made to be a single. BANKS' take on pop music is so interesting and off the wall that it feels almost Grimes-esque but not quite as far towards the experimental category. Her music however being so diverse constantly has comething interesting around the corner for you. "Mind Games" has this almost breathy musical quality and BANKS' vocal dancing over the track is incredibly satisfying. "Trainwreck" has a very hip hop quality to is yet BANKS doesn't stick with any specific genre, there are plenty of moments where she flat out refuses to do what you think she is going to. Her words are also quite cutting, leaving anyone who would dare disrespect the goddess in the dust.

There are times on the record where it seems BANKS bites off a bit more than shew can chew. "Poltergeist" is just to much and Her vocals never can quite keep up with it. her slighlty nasal sound on the track doesn't help either. The opposite is true on "Mother Earth" a truly angelic sounding song with very organic instrumentation which BANKS is able to lay rich deep vocals over. There is a great deal of searching for a specific sound on this album, BANKS trying to understand both what her style is and where that style has a place in the future. Clearly her brand of future soul is wildly compelling, but resting on that just does not seem to be in her nature. She is not going to stick to one way of doing things. The lyrics throughout the album feel incredibly personal, almost directly biographical, yet still relatable to any listener. The Altar is clearly an attempt to define just who BANKS is what she can do going forward but even in that time of discovery she is able to find really great moments. Whether you call it Future Boogie, Dream Pop or alt-R&B BANKS seems to be the one who is going to define a new genre, and do so on her own terms.

8.0 out of 10