Banks

As Interpol's dour baritone lead singer, Paul Banks could be counted on to bring the bleak and his solo career — whether billed as alter-ego Julian Plenti or as himself — has been different shades of the same alluring grey. Musicians choose their preferred sonic hues and follow where those tones take them. For Banks, it's a coarse minefield that offers plenty of alienating, post-punk clang in the disembodied feel of "Young Again," where Banks' vocals emit from behind the music. The deceptively mild instrumental "Lisbon" has placid guitars being picked, but there are moments midway through where emotions bubble up. "I'll Sue You" spits forth a raging bitterness that's emphasized by the unsettling rhythms. "The Base" shifts between textures, cold and monolithic vs. warm and close-up, as the song speaks as an elusive dream. "Arise, Awake" evokes a feeling of daydreaming through time and space. It's a cold, hard urban jungle out there.