Ex-lovers, take cover:
Banks
' sophomore outing
The Altar
is ready for a sacrifice to the goddesses. With the fire of a thousand scorned lovers,
goes all in with her lyrical attack. Whether destroying an ex or empowering herself,
has strengthened her voice -- resolutely and with increased production value -- in the two years since her debut
Goddess
.
is slightly less sleepy than its predecessor, including a handful of exciting hip-hop moments that pop and rumble ("Trainwreck" and "This Is Not About Us" are two standouts). Adding to the
Fiona Apple
-meets-
Massive Attack
vibe of past work,
also incorporates some of
Bjoerk
's experimental spirit this time around, suffusing dramatic tracks with sweeping
Homogenic
orchestration ("Weaker Girl" and "Mother Earth") or spare
Biophilia
/
Vespertine
cool ("Fuck with Myself" and "Lovesick"). Throughout, she bleeds into each song. At times scathing and aggressive, tracks like "Gemini Feed," "Trainwreck," and "Weaker Girl" snarl with edge and attitude (sharp production by
Sohn
,
Tim Anderson
, and
DJ Dahi
add to the might). When she shifts the gears of pain inward, she lays herself bare with unflinching honesty and vulnerability, like on "Lovesick" and "Mind Games." As on the cover art -- where
is seen without makeup and her hair tied up and unkempt -- her protective barriers are down and her insides are visible to anyone willing to look (or listen). Although the latter third of
is mostly a hypnotic comedown -- think
Broods
Vaults
, or
the Weeknd
's
Trilogy
--
packs enough energy and zeal at the starting line to duly lay waste to whoever was foolish enough to break her heart. ~ Neil Z. Yeung