Julian Plenti, also known as Paul Banks of Interpol, has been doing his thing since the late ’90s, actually pre-dating his more famous outfit by a couple of years. Of course, the quick and considerable fame generated by Interpol eclipsed the solo acoustic performances of Plenti, and Banks laid his alter ego aside. A few years back, Banks decided to dust off the Plenti persona, augmenting his solo material with a handful of friends, rounding the sound out with strings and brass, as well as the standard cadre of guitars and drums. The results are enough like Interpol for fans to find a bridge, but different enough to make Plentis debut, Julian Plenti Is. . .Skyscraper, a fitting departure. Among the more immediate differences is Banks singing style as Plenti. Largely eschewing the heady, affected-yet-affecting timbre his deep baritone so effectively employs in the service of Interpols noirish moods, Plenti sings here with a much cleaner, more direct approach. That sense of plain-spokenness is repeated in the music, which is much cleaner and lighter than what weve come to expect from Banks. Those adjectives largely detail the differences, but rest assured, they translate into an equally engaging set of songs, albeit one that fits a much different mood. With Im In You. All ages. NICHOLAS HALL
Mon., Nov. 16, 8 p.m., 2009
