Customer Reviews

Julian Plenti Is Skyscraper [Vinyl]

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Pseudonyms and side groups are some of the signs that a musician has made it and can release off shoots without damaging their main brand. Paul Banks of Interpol is the latest to cash in on the phenomena in the moodier guise of Julian Plenti. On "Julian Plenti. Is...Skyscraper" Banks fleshes out songs that had been growing moldy in his archives. What's surprising is that the songs that had been previously left for dead are infinitesimally more interesting than Interpol's last studio album "Our Love To Admire." Freed from the constraints and expectations of that band (brand), Banks cuts loose on an album that holds its own among the highlights of Interpol's career.

"Julian Plenti Is...Skyscraper" is not much a departure in sound or scope from Bank's somber songwriting skills that were first demonstrated on "Turn On The Bright Lights." The feeling of dread and despair is evident on most of these tracks as Banks can effectively portray himself as just another lost soul struggling to make it in these dire times. "Only If You Run" offers a solution in the form of drug-induced escapism that some might find palpable depending on the circumstance. On the other hand, "Fun That We Have" follows as the hangover heavy reality that there is no escape from the continuing monotony and daily malaise.

The strings and sampled accents of "Skyscraper" are a nice touch that doesn't detract from the underlying delicate acoustic guitar work. The most Interpol-like song amongst this lot is the fragmented and brooding "Games For Days." "Games For Days" features a great vocal and an overtly searing guitar that has been somewhat absent on this album. "Madrid Song" breaks the album into side 1 and 2 and feels a bit like filler. After that it seems like the album falters and it's not until the unhealthy yearning of "Girl on the Sporting News" where it recovers. Things get a bit angsty and experimental on the angular "Fly As You Might" which acts as the closing song on "Julian Plenti Is...Skyscraper." After "Fly As You Might" ends, song "H" appears as nothing more than a piano led filler which might symbolize the curtains finally closing on "Julian Plenti." Overall, "Julian Plenti Is...Skyscraper" is an interesting affair that provides new life to these old songs.

For anyone that may claim this is the "missing" Interpol album or other such things I have to disagree. Maybe these songs were thrown out by the band to record, but, the sound of the album is a distinct departure from what's gone before.

Lyrically it's still melancholic but the music provides a great backdrop for the vocals. The use of acoustic guitars and strings gets well away from the heavy bass lines and effects of Interpol's work.

With its own distinct sound and personality the album is a resounding first release for a talented vocalist that so many already know and love. I'm looking forward to the live dates that are promised.

Wow! Paul really pulls it off here. After being put in the position where everybody said Paul was an Ian Curtis rip off and so was Interpol( they sound more like the Chameleons with that guitar interplay anyway ), They are their own band and have their own sound. In Julian Plenti's "Skyscraper" you can hear that Paul has his own style and sense of experimentation. It was the perfect time for it too. If you listen to "C'Mere" on Antics you can tell that Paul was going to do something on his own. The album sounds perfect from start to finish. Track 3, "Skyscraper" is simple in lyrics but has a ton of depth to it. You get one part soft and ambient and one part pop mixed on the album. All in all, Paul is great as Julian Plenti. Like Bowie and all of his alternate egos, Julian just may dissapear. But who knows? Maybe another my pop up. He has alot of talent obviously. The album is well worth the listen and if you can forget "Interpol" while you listen, you can hear the man as himself. Thats the hard part and the trick. Don't mix the two together.Wonderful poet and fantastic musician. There is a long career ahead of Paul(Julian). A*

Sorry for all the Arctic Monkeys, Dylan, Ben Harper, Iggy Pop, Neil Young, Doherty, White Lies, Scott Matthews, but Plenty gave us, until now, the best album of the year. And "No Chance Survival" is a piece of the art. Qu'on se le dise.

Julian Plenti is amazing, dark and layered, well produced and well executed. I hope Interpol stops touring for a while so we can see more Julian solo. I went to see him play live and really enjoyed it. I loved this album and you will too if you enjoy the vocals and writing of Julian Plenti.

This is one of my favorite albums ever. There is so much emotion in the music. It moves me every time I listen to it. Awesome album from a very talented artist.

I always love hearing solo projects from members of bands I like. It is interesting if not telling to see how they approach their songwriting without having to compromise, argue about which part stays, which part goes, who gets to keep this or that melody. In this album Paul sets himself apart from his main act in all but one song (Games for Days), which is the direction I wish Interpol had gone in with their last album. For those that want to compare this album with Interpol, well I guess you could considering its the same singer. However, musically it is not. I would challenge those comparisons by asking the reviewer to name one keyboard line, or synthesizer for that matter, that is present on any Interpol CD. Hey, did Interpol do any acoustic guitar songs? No they did not. Was there piano, upright bass, vocal doubling, intra-song tempo changes, etc, etc, etc on any Interpol album? Not that I am aware of. But hey, we all have our opinions. There are those that still compare Interpol to Joy Division. And there are those that compare Ian Curtis to Jim Morrison. And there are those that compare Jim Morrison to Johnny Cash. Hey who cares. What I will say is that this is an excellently crafted album rich in mood, texture, vibe and straight away art. This one stays in my collection for good!

This album of Interpol's Julian Plenti is outstanding. I actually like this record much better than the Interpol albums.
The songs are very strong and energetic. Great guitars and other instrumentation.

this was an awesome buy on my part. it plays perfectly. little to no scratches. the case wasn't in the best condition, but then again, it's only a case. but all together i was smart to buy from this person, they gave me exactly what i wanted. thank you.

If you were an interpol fan, Paul banks makes a better version of it. It's simply great it has great melody, rhythm is that kind of music that when you hear it makes you feel relaxed.
I loved it.