Julian Plenti – Julian Plenti is Skyscraper
Everyone who reads this blog knows that I am usually pretty shallow when it comes to my reactions to music – I make snap judgements, I am borderline fetishistic about certain production styles, I find it almost impossible not to completely dismiss anyone too dapper, too attractive or too immaculately groomed, and once bands get too famous or ubiquitous I find it hard not to completely unreasonably lose interest.
Well, here’s another one to add to the hall of shame: I only gave this album as much chance as I did because someone told me that Julian Plenti happened to be that chap out of Interpol (Paul Banks, as his mother knows him). Until that point this was another release where I had half-listened to an mp3 which hadn’t grabbed me in the first twenty or thirty seconds, after which my attention span had drifted and I had lost interest. Sadly, this kind of thing happens to me a lot these days – it’s almost inevitable due to the lack of time I have to try and digest all the music I get sent. I don’t like it, but I don’t think it can be avoided.
Plenti’s press release is worded in a way which I admire, however. In fact, his Interpol past isn’t mentioned at all, so they have clearly decided that they want this music to stand or fall on its own merits, as an independent piece of work. Given the instant audience they could rope in by flogging the Interpol angle, I have a lot of respect for their decision not to. I have to confess, though, that once I had discovered that fact I listened with renewed interest.
Again, it may be superficial, but I thought two things as I finally took time to sit and listen to the whole album: firstly, that I had better give this a proper listen this time, as I knew I had been too hasty the first time; and secondly, that I was genuinely curious to see what that guy from Interpol had in him other than Interpol.
And the answer, it seems, is rather a lot. This album came together, according to the press release, on Plenti’s embracing of modern music software. Software which allows you to sound like a band, to build a big, layered sound, without actually having to have a band. Closer to home, think of the Meursault album: a deep, big, textured sound gradually built up on a laptop from recordings made in someone’s living room.
In a sense, I suppose, it can be a double-edged sword. Yes, it allows you to build a sound at your own pace which is exactly what you want, but at the same time it can cut you off from the creative stimulus of sparking ideas off other people. In this case, maybe because I had grown a little bored of the ‘Interpol sound’ – particularly from their last album, where that sound was about all that was left of a once-great band – it is the the least Interpolly songs which I like the best. Skyscraper is great, Madrid Song is lovely, No Chance Survival and Fun That We Have as well, and they all have an experimental, textured shimmer to them which I really do like.
Conversely, it’s when Plenti goes uptempo that thoughts of ‘ah that chap from Interpol’ can raise their head, and the album loses a bit of its sparkle. Games For Days doesn’t cut it at all, for me personally, sounding just like what made the last Interpol album so lifeless. It’s not all that common though – as Unwind demonstrates, with a downright jaunty trumpet riff bringing something altogether unexpected to the table.
So, I’ve mentioned bloody Interpol in virtually every paragraph in this review, and I accept the fact that Plenti and his band will probably hate me for it. And I have to say that they are right because it is only when this record sounds anything like Interpol that I don’t like it. Ninety-five percent of it is really good, genuinely new, and a real treat. It didn’t grab me immediately, but with every listen I am enjoying this more and more.
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I had hopes for this album, but it bored me silly.
Really? I’m really enjoying it. It took me a while, I have to say, and I gave it more of a chance than most, but I still rather like it. I’m not blown away, but I reckon it’s solid.
And thanks for the putting the seat-sniffing story out into the ether
Did Matthew turn the site over to a guest blogger again..?
Having now listened, I have to say I enjoyed these tracks as much (probably more) than I ever did anything by Interpol. Pleasant surprise. Good call leaving that reference out of the press materials.
Well I loved the first one, and large parts of the second one. But the last was so crap that I might have a backwards expectations effect here.
Seat-sniffing?
Oh, ok, I know now, I remember. Yeh, it fit perfectly with the story I had & it was well worth a re-telling (albeit truncated & probably factually inaccurate having only heard it once & relying entirely on
It was pretty spot on actually.
Swine.
But I’m pretty sure that an advert came up for this album on facebook for two weeks for me, because Interpol are in the bands on my interests. So a slightly more canny means of association perhaps, but association none the less.
I like Skyscraper though. Just started Unwind, and not as keen on that one.
On a completely unrelated note, Peter Buckley Hill on the Free Fringe is great.
Glad to hear you like it. I never even bothered to listen to this because Interpol bore me so much. Maybe I should given it a listen. But the lethargy…..
I’m like everybody else: I was blown away by Skyscraper, but don’t like Unwind nearly as much, although I do like how it ends. It’s the strings on Skyscraper that turn me on. It makes me want to check out the rest.
Skyscraper is the highlight of the album for me, so I won’t pretend it isn’t my favourite track too. But I chose Unwind to show a bit more variety, whereas there are plenty of other really nice slower songs on here too. All the ones I named in that paragraph where I name songs are pretty much slow ones.
Matthew, you essentially echo my thoughts entirely re: this album. The slower songs are the best, and “Unwind” is actually my favorite (though Skyscraper is certainly up there).
In general, as far as a cohesive album, I think that there are a lot of “standout singles” but as a whole something’s missing.
That being said, I like the songs a lot, and I didn’t expect to. So maybe that’s why I liked them even more!
Love Unwind, bored to tears on Skyscraper… color me contrary I guess :-p
But then, I always loved Interpol. xoxo
Really? Even the third album? Bright Lights is amazing but the last one was dreadful.
Woo! Me and Tart finally agree on something!
That first track Skyscraper seems a bit underdeveloped and uninspired. It just seems to be layer upon layer of tracks all slathered on top of a fairly dull chord progression.
The other one is much more inventive and well-crafted. You’ve still got that layered sound of the various tracks – that was a characteristic of the Interpol sound too – but the interplay between them is much more subtle, imaginitive and rewarding.
Hmmm… Funny to be talking about an act characterised by multi-tracking and layered overdubs the day after Les Paul died.
Now there was an indiviual who is responsible for changing how music sounds, but I bet his passing generates barely a whisper in the media, particularly in relation to the macabre circus generated by that sideshow freak who carked it a few weeks back.
Don’t you mean that it’s got trumpets and you can hum it, rather than all that pish?
I’m sorry Matthew. The 3rd Interpol album is not awful at all and I like both these tracks.
I knew you’d say that.
And no I don’t just mean that.
I mean some thought has gone into the arrangement, it’s inventive and unusual.
The other one (Skyscraper) is really rather simple and basic, it’s just the same two bars of music repeated over and over, it’s just been swamped in layer upon layer of tracks all doing pretty much the same thing as each other.
liking this, tho i didn’t get Skyscraper the first couple of times round.
also i can hear a fair bit of Interpol in these tracks!
i’m i the only one?
Tart, Colour is spelt like this!!!!
Yeah, Tart.
And this is an estate car, and tomato doesn’t rhyme with potato!
:p
Oh dear.
can i have my nice jar back please?
Don’t you like your new position as the voice of the moral majority on Toad?
I have to agree with all of the above who stuck up for ‘the third album’. It wasn’t a bad album – not as good as TOTBL, I agree, but it wasn’t without merit (But then yeah, all music has it’s merits. Well, not screamo.). I liked it, anyway.
I haven’t listened to these yet, and actually I might not, because what kind of a name is Julian Plenti???
Yes, I’m that shallow.
I think it might be made up, Volders. There were a couple of songs I liked on the last Interpol, but there weren’t many and I only thought they were okay. Antics had some fucking corkers though.
And Dylan, something doesn’t have to be complex to be good.
No, but it has to be good to be good.
Or in your case simply being obvious will generally do.
And Dylan has failed.
So if I don’t explain why a song is shit, I get told off, but if I do explain why a song is shit, I get told off.
You do realise that neither of these events actually stop the song in question being shit, right?
Neither of these songs are shit!
The fail comment was actually related to an intervening ‘this is a test’ comment, which has subsequently been deleted.
What I was actually hinting at was that if you are not that into the music, then stuff like complex this and unusual that might well help you see merit it something you’re not that keen on.
If you like something, then the ’same thing layered a lot of times’ comment you made can often be a positive. If you look at your record collection there will be plenty of things simpler and less sophisticated than that which you happen to love. That’s all I meant with that comment.
Made up??? REALLY??! (Imagine this to be said with great sarcasm, if you please.)
He could have called himself anything, and he chose ‘Julian Plenti’?
I suppose I should be grateful he didn’t spell Julian with an e.
It makes him sound like a complete and utter wanker.
Rage with relish. Top commenting!