BANKS: III Review
BANKS’ third album, fittingly titled III is a gateway into the singer’s road to accepting the whims, tribulations and meaningfulness of love. In her third album, the singer teams with BJ Burton (Bon Iver) and Francis and The Lights, to create what she describes as material that is, “an ode to my journey.”
The thirteen tracks each document a, ”major growth spurt. Of self-acceptance, letting go, forgiveness, and deep love. It has been painful to realise that life is not black and white. Romanticism leads to fierce reality checks, which leads to wisdom, which leads to deeper empathy which leads to greater love. This album documents the cycle.”
A two-year hiatus has allowed BANKS to step back, gain perspective and go on to create her most thrilling body of work to date. III sees the BANKS we thought we knew in a different light, taking full reign over experimenting with different, unconventional sounds and delivery.
Opener ‘Till Now’ hits as strong as a thunderstorm. Only two and a half minutes long, BANKS conveys her defiance and enough-is-enough attitude. A declaration of her power, she sings, “I let you push me around till now”. Professing her fortitude goes a long way in the scheme of this album, giving listeners insight into the skewed relationship she has worked so hard to let go of.
Lead single ‘Gimme’ consolidates the singer’s aura of control, as she demands, ‘gimme what I want, what I deserve’. She’s confident, empowered and this state of mind is bolstered through her seductive vocal and synthy, trailblazing sonic.
The crux of BANKS’ album appears to be a narrative of the corrupted and infected love she has endured. Ballad-like ‘Contaminated’ and ’Stroke’ provide a compelling juxtaposition of the clouded love. ‘Stroke’ is a poignant exploration of associating and being in a relationship with a narcissist. The lyrics, ‘you want to tell me what to do, you want me to stroke your ego’, are conveyed with eerie, soft undertones, and amplified through fuzzy, dark and mysterious synths.
BANKS’ only feature on the album comes on ‘Look What You’re Doing To Me’. In collaboration with Francis and The Lights, the duo deliver the most upbeat track on III, which also arguably showcases BANKS at her most free as she delves into the spell-binding effects of love.
‘Propaganda’ is a turning point in the albums thematic structure. In an album that weaves between confidence and twisted love, the track expresses her own sense of accountability. The lyrics, ’I can’t save myself, I might need help’, show BANKS’ self-aware nature and desire to heal, juggling it with the understanding that she is not always in control.
The final two tracks cap off a sentimental third album for BANKS. ‘If We Were Made of Water’ pairs the softer BANKS trademark sound with her classic element of distortion, bringing the idea of being made of water into a new life. The singer closes the album with ‘What About Love’, a painfully honest and endearing track that summarises the cycle of love where people are bound to love, be loved, pine over love and make sacrifices and choices in the name of love.
III brings another dimension to BANKS. Her lyricism captures her vulnerability and understanding of her worth. Packed with candid lyricism, floating vocals and edgier sounds than her past two albums, BANKS soars. There’s no spiteful vendetta, only an artist who has successfully used her heartbreak to flourish.