Julian Plenti Is... Skyscraper
by Julian Plenti
  • Record Label: Matador
  • Release Date: Aug 4, 2009
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 20 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 20
  3. Negative: 1 out of 20

Review this album

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. LeahT
    Aug 5, 2009
    8
    A solid, decent album. A cool listen. Yes, his voice still has "INTERPOL" written all over it...but there's an inventiveness here that is all his own.
  2. SorayaH
    Aug 31, 2009
    8
    I love this album. Effortlessly intriguing.
  3. finalsound
    Aug 6, 2009
    10
    A delightful surprise -- gets better with each listen as the quiet complexity of each song reveals itself.
  4. Armington
    Nov 28, 2010
    7
    Much better than Interpol's last two efforts. Where Interpol on their 3rd and 4th albums have stuttered and stunted all progress by trying to do the same old trick over and over, at least here Banks is trying to take his sound in new directions. It's not always great but it is often very, very good. A pleasant surprise
  5. Ricko
    Feb 2, 2012
    7
    It's got some decent moments on without doubt and it would have been great if some of these ideas were expanded on by Interpol. Still, it's a bit thin and a bit dreary at times. An EP of this stuff would have probably sufficed. Only if you Run belongs on an Interpol album big time - feels a bit wasted on this record. Great track.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
63

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 20
  3. Negative: 2 out of 20
  1. AllMusic
    80
    While Interpol is far from a simplistic band, more often than not Julian Plenti Is Skyscraper takes the scenic route, and it pays off with an intimate, subtle set of songs that are strong in their own right.
    Read full review
  2. Boston Globe
    70
    Banks’s debut solo outing is a leap forward--and notably away - from his band’s rigid blueprint that hinges on cold calculation and angular rhythm.
    Read full review
  3. Entertainment Weekly
    67
    Given his chilly demeanor, Banks makes for an uneasy balladeer, and he sometimes overcompensates with treacly string ?arrangements.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »