Indie rock meets rap. Banks & Steelz is a duo made up of Paul Banks from Interpol and Steelz is RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan. Interesting combo, no? The result is definitely a sound you would more expect from RZA though there is some rock as well. Should not be surprising that someone who hails from the sometimes dour Interpol is totally comfortable in the hip hop milieu as in his previous solo work he has experimented with a 90s hip hop sound and worked with the likes of Talib Kweli. Now on this he is fully invested. And it totally works. With Banks’ somber voice and RZA’s fast paced rap delivery style it is a pleasing juxtaposition of styles. There is passion in the lyrics and power in the music. Most importantly is that it all sounds organic with a total sense of the two collaborating to make a unified whole. This despite the fact that the sound of the album varies quite a bit. Within the twelve tracks you can get one that is dripping in gospel influence while the next is a punk-esque offering. Always interesting. It is a perfect union of two established talents in the music industry as the two men bring the best out in each other. I was left hoping this would not be a one off.
Banks & Steelz – Anything But Words
