[Nine]

http://www.pitchfork...lenti-lives-ep/

About what you'd expect :blush:


By Brian Howe

5.2
There's always been something that doesn't quite add up about Interpolleader Paul Banks. His precise, slightly stilted self-presentation, which portrays a credible but conspicuously guarded image of humanity, is hard to reconcile with that stark, ungainly voice, blackened by unmasked loneliness, groaning out quizzical aphorisms and New York stories with what sounds like barely suppressed terror. What sort of creature is that supposed to be? The singer's internally turbulent blankness was the catalytic agent in Interpol's modern classic, Turn on the Bright Lights, which they started to work on in November 2001. When it came out the following year, its overlays of urban-apocalyptic vision and desolated ordinariness made a visceral kind of sense: Banks sounding stunned with emotion amid his band's massive, gleaming, suddenly sinister architecture.

Either way, his internally turbulent blankness was the catalytic agent in Interpol's modern classic, Turn on the Bright Lights, which they started to work on in November 2001. When it came out the following year, it was still easy to identify with its overlays of urban-apocalyptic vision and desolated ordinariness. Banks sounded stunned with emotion amid his band's massive, gleaming, suddenly sinister architecture, which made a visceral sense.

Interpol were quickly elected avatars of the post-9/11, Brooklyn-centered post-punk boom, an improbable moment when it seemed like Echo and the Bunnymen were more influential than the Rolling Stones, which was immortalized in a Believer article called "Well-Dressed Men Sing Songs for Oblivion". But the moment passed, and Interpol ceased to feel inevitable. Though they still technically exist, it's hard not to think of them in the past tense. Whether Banks' elusive persona will be interesting to listeners in other contexts is an open question. It wasn't resolved on his capricious solo debut, Julian Plenti Is… Skyscraper, and it isn't resolved on Julian Plenti Lives…, a perfectly decent if rather bizarre teaser EP for an impending follow-up. Those ambivalent ellipses are spot-on. We still have no clue what this project is really about or who Julian Plenti is, let alone Paul Banks.

The EP consists of two originals and three covers seemingly plucked at random. Opening instrumental "Perimeter Deactivated" is a driving version of a Harold Faltermeyer theme from the 1987 Schwarzenegger film The Running Man. "Mythsysizer" is a J Dilla cover with concussive guitar chords and swirling pianos. "I'm a Fool to Want You" is a fairly straight Sinatra cover with-- why not?-- a light trip-hop undercarriage, and comes off about as well as that possibly could. There's also an original instrumental that sounds like a less-funky Ratatat cribbing riffs from "Float On". You could be forgiven for wondering what in the hell is going on. Let's hope that these confusing covers are just filler to round out "Summertime Is Coming", which would form an intriguing basis for the new Julian Plenti album.

The liquid, languorous guitar line is enticingly familiar-- a welcome reminder in all the hodgepodge that Banks' music has specific good qualities. The lyrics range from flawlessly vacuous to genuinely affecting-- "Is this the right time to know me?"-- though if you're dead-set on finding a quotable clunker, "You're sweet like a peach on the beach" will do fine. The Flaming Lips-like acoustic outro is at once daring, awkward, and moving-- startlingly personal, even. The song's success relative to the instrumentals says two things. One: Banks does have substance. Take him out of the music and the spirit goes. Two: Interpol's power derived, to a perhaps underappreciated degree, from musicianship. They knew how to control tempo and pace, especially with former bassist Carlos Dengler's stately but kinetic touch. For the Julian Plenti LP, a little less Logic and a little more playing and singing would go a long way.

[visualinfidelity]

This review is sort of ignorant and tacky. Leaving the writers point-of-view aside. Half of it is about Interpol and "influences", and the other half is about how he doesn't get who Paul Banks/Julian Plenti is. Well yeah, it's obvious he doesn't know where he is coming from, based on his shitty review. Whatever, now I know why Paul doesn't like to read reviews. I'm pissed and this isn't even my music. :angry:

BTW, Can we not mention 9/11?! Then following it up by this: "Though they (Interpol) still technically exist, it's hard not to think of them in the past tense." as if he's making some sort of correlation. We all know every song on TOTBL was written long before 2001. All of this non-sense on what is supposed to be a JP review.

JFC, kill me.

:angry: :angry: :angry:

[Serpent Swells]

HORRIBLE REVIEW!!!! There's seriously only two paragraphs about the EP itself!

And in those two paragraphs, all he really has to say about the EP is that Summertime Is Coming is a solid effort and that the rest is unfocused. Lazy journalism at its finest. I mean, couldn't he have gone just a little more in-depth about why he didn't like the covers? Because simply writing them off as "confusing" isn't really cutting it.

[obstaclespecialist]

In these reviews, Interpol should be mentioned in quick sentence and then they need to move on.

[tercat]

I think what you're getting here is the average music fan's view. They're not speaking to big Interpol fans here, or even to major music geeks. They're writing for someone who's saying, "Paul Banks... Julian Plenti... Why are these names kind of familiar?? Oh yeah... Interpol. Are they still around?" There's no way that's going to satisfy a big Interpol fan, but we're just a little bitty piece of their audience.

"You're sweet like a peach on the beach"? Paul, dear, you really do test us.

[rose_mary]

tercat, on 09 July 2012 - 02:35 PM, said:

I think what you're getting here is the average music fan's view. They're not speaking to big Interpol fans here, or even to major music geeks. They're writing for someone who's saying, "Paul Banks... Julian Plenti... Why are these names kind of familiar?? Oh yeah... Interpol. Are they still around?" There's no way that's going to satisfy a big Interpol fan, but we're just a little bitty piece of their audience.

"You're sweet like a peach on the beach"? Paul, dear, you really do test us.

hehe, this line makes me giggle everytime I listen to the song ;-)

Reviews are most of the time unsatisfying for me. I would need to know the author and her/his taste to make something of it.

[hazey jane]

I think the review's author enjoyed the EP.
:unsure:

[visualinfidelity]

rose_mary, on 09 July 2012 - 10:58 AM, said:

hehe, this line makes me giggle everytime I listen to the song ;-)

:D

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6wyc7kbKr1r6cs0zo1_r1_500.jpg

[ThenGo]

tercat, on 09 July 2012 - 08:35 AM, said:

"You're sweet like a peach on the beach"? Paul, dear, you really do test us.

Dear God, so true.

[elfyz]

visualinfidelity, on 11 July 2012 - 12:07 AM, said:

:D

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6wyc7kbKr1r6cs0zo1_r1_500.jpg

Ha ha ha :D Well done visualinfidelity !

[Balmain]

I think this album was average at best. You people are acting like they are dissing the Album Of The Year. Im still hoping his full lenght will be awesome though. Obviously Pitchfork downgrades it a bit, im cool with that, seeing the audience they try to reach. Interpol hasn't been that "hip new thing" for a while now. So.
But seriously people: average at best.

[breakdown]

I think its funny how every time someone makes any kind of constructive criticism about the band ever the super fans come on here and bitch about how its the worst review they've ever read and how the reviewer is always WRONG WRONG WRONG. Guess what? Music is subjective - everyone is entitled to their own opinion, reviewers even more so as this is likely how they pay their bills and live.

I think the review is spot on. The new EP is average at best. It's probably my least favorite Interpol related anything. It's awkward, uneven, and inconsistent. And really just flat out boring. IAfter the first few listens I repeatedly asked myself why he'd even release it. I'm surprised anyone who swooned over classics like Antics and TOTBL would even defend "Lives...". Even the highlight - "Summertime Is Coming" is completely dull and uninspired when compared my least favorite Interpol songs.

I'll admit I am not a huge fan of Paul's debut - about half of it I liked, about a third of it I loved ('No Chance Survival' and 'Skyscraper' should have been Interpol songs! Would love to hear these fleshed out with the rest of the dudes). I am interested to hear the rest of the new album, and have HIGH hopes that since Paul's on this streak of doing covers that he'll do a proper studio version of "A Horse With No Name" as its an all time favorite of mine and the live clips from the Julian Plenti tour sounded like they were amazing to hear in person.

[breakdown]

Also, folks need to keep in mind that not everyone is an Interpol superfan. As mentioned, most music fans might need some sort of reference point when hearing about new music. For someone reading that doesn't follow the band, I think its essential to discuss what he's done prior to this solo stuff and compare the two. Without the success of Interpol we wouldn't be discussing this at all - Paul could very well be playing these songs on an acoustic guitar to a homeless person on a park bench in the middle of Manhattan with nary a second glance in his direction.

[visualinfidelity]

You know this is an Interpol FAN board right? What else would you expect? Why would you go to a message board just to say you don't like something? I think it's funny how you others are doing the same exact thing in the complete opposite direction here...

[breakdown]

visualinfidelity, on 12 July 2012 - 04:42 PM, said:

You know this is an Interpol FAN board right? What else would you expect? Why would you go to a message board just to say you don't like something? I think it's funny how you others are doing the same exact thing in the complete opposite direction here...

Yeah, I'm aware. In case you haven't noticed I've been a member of the board for 7 years.

I didn't come here to say I didn't like it. I wanted to check out what the IMB folks thought as I've forced myself through a few listens and I don't get it. Again, music is subjective. The reviewer has a right to not like it and to have that review published, just like I can point out that some of you have blind dedication and will eat up anything these dudes poop out. Your response only proves my point. The review wasn't posted on the messageboard, it's posted on P4K, who no doubt reach listeners of all genres, and I'd bet a nice chunk of them DON'T listen to Interpol.

I wasn't going to post my thoughts on the EP at all until I saw how blindly defensive some of you were getting about the review.

[Serpent Swells]

breakdown, on 12 July 2012 - 11:29 AM, said:

Also, folks need to keep in mind that not everyone is an Interpol superfan. As mentioned, most music fans might need some sort of reference point when hearing about new music. For someone reading that doesn't follow the band, I think its essential to discuss what he's done prior to this solo stuff and compare the two. Without the success of Interpol we wouldn't be discussing this at all - Paul could very well be playing these songs on an acoustic guitar to a homeless person on a park bench in the middle of Manhattan with nary a second glance in his direction.

I agree, background information is essential when writing a music review. The problem with that Pitchfork review is the fact that only two of the review's four paragraphs even talk about the subject at hand- the EP itself. Half of a review being background information isn't my idea of good journalism.

Like any rational human being, I have no problems with negative reviews towards works I enjoy. But it does annoy me when a reviewer gives something a middling score without proper justification.

visualinfidelity, on 12 July 2012 - 12:42 PM, said:

You know this is an Interpol FAN board right? What else would you expect? Why would you go to a message board just to say you don't like something? I think it's funny how you others are doing the same exact thing in the complete opposite direction here...

I don't really think this is an Interpol fan board. I actually think it's just a forum to discuss anything related to Interpol. Consequently, it's only natural to see differing opinions are here.

And frankly, aren't differing opinions good? And isn't the purpose of a forum to incite discussion of any kind towards the subject at hand? Because I must admit, if this was a place to endlessly gush over the band and its members without anything in the way of objectivity, I probably wouldn't be here right now.

[visualinfidelity]

breakdown, on 12 July 2012 - 05:27 PM, said:

Yeah, I'm aware. In case you haven't noticed I've been a member of the board for 7 years.

I didn't come here to say I didn't like it. I wanted to check out what the IMB folks thought as I've forced myself through a few listens and I don't get it. Again, music is subjective. The reviewer has a right to not like it and to have that review published, just like I can point out that some of you have blind dedication and will eat up anything these dudes poop out. Your response only proves my point. The review wasn't posted on the messageboard, it's posted on P4K, who no doubt reach listeners of all genres, and I'd bet a nice chunk of them DON'T listen to Interpol.

I wasn't going to post my thoughts on the EP at all until I saw how blindly defensive some of you were getting about the review.

You obviously didn't read what I wrote. The second thing I said was "Leaving the writers point-of-view aside." Everyone obviously has their own opinions and I didn't like the review period, not just because of the opinion of Paul's music. Think what you want, you know nothing about me and assume way too much... "you have blind dedication and will eat up anything these dudes poop out" You sound like Pitchfork.

[obstaclespecialist]

breakdown, on 12 July 2012 - 02:29 PM, said:

Without the success of Interpol we wouldn't be discussing this at all - Paul could very well be playing these songs on an acoustic guitar to a homeless person on a park bench in the middle of Manhattan with nary a second glance in his direction.

Dude, that is harsh :(

[ThenGo]

obstaclespecialist, on 13 July 2012 - 05:40 AM, said:

Dude, that is harsh :(

Possibly, but I have to admit that it's doubtful that this would have been released if Paul wasn't Paul. I've tried to like it but I don't. No big deal. But I'm glad that others are finding something they enjoy. There's nothing like getting excited by a new piece of music.

[EtoileMaris]

ThenGo, on 13 July 2012 - 12:15 PM, said:

Possibly, but I have to admit that it's doubtful that this would have been released if Paul wasn't Paul. I've tried to like it but I don't. No big deal. But I'm glad that others are finding something they enjoy. There's nothing like getting excited by a new piece of music.

+1 this. Concur entirely.

[tercat]

Might want to hang around the board tomorrow (Sunday) if you're interested in more Paul news...

[tyboulder]

Pitchfork is a ridiculous site. Ten years ago it was a decent place to find music but it has now become the internet's shrine to music snobbery. I used to care what they rated albums, but it's painfully apparent now that they rate bands and albums based on their "cool factor"-- IMHO, almost every band that's rated highly is some esoteric punk/garage/indie smorgasbord of shit that you probably haven't heard about before, because face it, there's no way you're as cool as the puds hiding behind their electronic opinions. JP Lives was a decent EP, maybe my least favorite of all the releases from PB/Interpol, but what they think of it means nothing to me.

[ThenGo]

tyboulder, on 07 August 2012 - 06:29 PM, said:

Pitchfork is a ridiculous site. Ten years ago it was a decent place to find music but it has now become the internet's shrine to music snobbery. I used to care what they rated albums, but it's painfully apparent now that they rate bands and albums based on their "cool factor"-- IMHO, almost every band that's rated highly is some esoteric punk/garage/indie smorgasbord of shit that you probably haven't heard about before, because face it, there's no way you're as cool as the puds hiding behind their electronic opinions. JP Lives was a decent EP, maybe my least favorite of all the releases from PB/Interpol, but what they think of it means nothing to me.

I honestly dislike JP Lives but I still have high hopes for his upcoming CD. However, I couldn't agree with you more in your assessment of Pitchfork. Even when they give a positive review of a personal favorite, I can barely stand to read their pretentious drivel.