Sometimes an artist releases a new album and it just hits you straight in the face, it was exactly the new piece of music you were looking for. Right now, that album for me is Banks's brilliant new opus, "The Altar".
I have to be honest, I wasn't really into Banks before I heard her new work, I knew the name but hadn't explored her wonders - and then I heard, "Gemini Feed", and everything changed. It certainly has to be one of the best songs of the year. The production is flawless, the lyrics are perfect and the delicate nuances of Banks voice is on full show. The passionate repetition of the line "And you're passive aggressive" is exactly what I needed to hear.
The good news for me, and you, is that the rest of "The Altar" is just as good. I also love the album title, a nice hat tip to the chorus of "Gemini Feed". Some silly man must have wronged Banks, because lyrically the album sees a wronged woman hitting back. And the lyrics certainly are one of the big highlights of this album, they are poetic and straight from the heart.
This is such a cohesive album that brings us luscious beats and sleek production, and Banks voice is on point, showing depth and vulnerability. It's a great album to listen to from start to finish, each song building from the momentum of the previous track.
"Gemini Feed" is definitely the best track on offer, but there are so many good songs here. "Mind Games" is another piece of pop perfection, it's an infectious tune with a great chorus. "Fuck With Myself" has grand sounds and a haunting beat, plus you have to love those lyrics, "I fuck with myself more than anyone else" - so many great meanings here!
"Trainwreck" is a passionate track with great beats and a nice level of darkness, "Weaker Girl" is vulnerable with luscious strings and the song is very epic and grand. While quite simply, "To the Hilt" is beautiful, it's haunting and heartbreaking, "Now I live in this house we built".
This truly is a great album from a very talented artist. "The Altar" is certainly an album you need to add to your collection!
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