Album Review
Banks - The Altar
4 StarsDiscovering her true identity, LA star Banks also finds pop gold on ‘The Altar’.
BANKS’ 2014 debut ‘Goddess’ swept in through a cloud of hype, packing stories of heartbreak, destruction and redemption. But in a sea of gloomy pop, it was hard to figure out exactly what made up these tales.
The formula is flipped on ‘The Alter’, a follow-up that thankfully sees BANKS swapping mystery for actual hits, songs with mammoth hooks that don’t shy away from cold truths. Opener ‘Gemini Feed’ is a SOHN-produced monster, led by robotic vocals that even manage to make the words “you’re passive aggressive” sound edgy. Mostly bored with the misty nonsense of ‘Goddess’, the record goes on to boast swaggering pace (‘This is Not About Us’), a hit-and-miss-but-nice-one-for-trying rap verse (‘Trainwreck’) and a breathless ballad that Rihanna would nab in a heartbeat, thanks to ‘Mother Earth’.
Last time round, BANKS had a habit of coating dark realities in box-ticking, of-the-moment effects. That does happen occasionally here, too. Like on the nothing-y ‘Haunt’ and the misty ‘Judas’, where the latter’s important message is shrouded in a coat of cool.
But when going for the jugular, BANKS combines unbending confidence, warts ’n all detail and gigantic choruses in the same move. ‘The Altar’ is very close to being a razor-sharp pop blueprint. Don’t bet against her striking pure gold next time round.
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BANKS reveals new track ‘Skinnydipped’
"It’s about knowing your worth and shedding your skin."
25th August 2021, 12:00am
BANKS returns with ‘The Devil’
“The devil is about being stronger than the demons that haunt you. About rebirth and transformation into the forces of nature we were born to be.”
17th June 2021, 12:00am
Banks - III
2 Stars
Banks-by-numbers.
12th July 2019, 7:50am
Banks is going on tour in November!
The tour sees her long-awaited return to the UK and EU.
7th June 2019, 12:00am
With Bob Vylan, St Vincent, girl in red, Lizzy McAlpine and more.