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As Interpol’s front man, Paul Banks has largely been a cipher; while certainly not lacking in charisma, his sardonic manner and dry sense of humour often polarised and confounded listeners and critics alike.

Banks’ first solo album found him assuming the alter ego of Julian Plenti, but he’s now jettisoned this for ‘Banks’, credited to Paul Banks (as was its preceding EP).

Whereas 2009’s Julian Plenti ‘Is…Skyscraper’ album was culled largely from songs pre-dating Interpol, ‘Banks’ is a vivid documentation of Banks in the here and now, and may be his most personal work to date. “Yeah, I suppose I wanted to simplify things this time around,” he explains. “Julian Plenti was something that I had to do, but once it was done, I didn't need to hold on to it. I'm just making music and hoping to let it speak for itself.”

Here Paul delivers some of his most disarming and heartfelt lyrics to date, far removed from his often detached anomie with Interpol.

Produced by Paul Banks and Peter Katis (Interpol, Jónsi, The National).