The Altar Explained

The Altar
Type:studio
Artist:Banks
Cover:Banks - The Altar.png
Border:yes
Studio:
Genre:
Length:44:54
Label:Harvest
Producer:
Prev Title:Goddess
Prev Year:2014
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The Altar is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Banks, released on September 30, 2016, by Harvest Records. Banks collaborated with several producers on the album, including Tim Anderson, Sohn, and Al Shux, with whom she worked on her debut studio album, Goddess. The album received generally positive reviews from critics and became her second top 20 in the United States, peaking at number 17 on the Billboard 200. It spawned four singles: "Fuck with Myself", "Gemini Feed", "Mind Games", and "To the Hilt".

Background

On November 4, 2015, Banks released the single "Better", along with its accompanying music video.[3] Banks toured with The Weeknd for a second time, opening for him on his The Madness Fall Tour across North America from November to December 2015.[4] She announced on June 8, 2016, that she had finished work on her second album.[5] On July 29, Banks revealed that the album would be titled The Altar, along with its cover art and release date.[6]

The lead single from the album, "Fuck with Myself", was released on July 12, 2016.[7] Banks premiered the track on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 radio show, where she said it was the last song she wrote for the album. "There's so many meanings to it", she said of the song. "It could be like, 'I fuck with myself', like, 'I mess with myself more than anybody else.' It could be, 'I fuck with myself', kind of like, 'I'm feeling myself.' It means a lot of different things that I think a lot of people can relate to."[8] The album's second single, "Gemini Feed", premiered on Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1 show on August 2, 2016,[9] and was released digitally the following day.[10] "Mind Games" was released as the third single from the album on August 19, 2016,[11] followed by "To the Hilt" on September 16, 2016.[12] A music video for the song "Trainwreck" premiered on January 18, 2017.[13]

Critical reception

The Altar received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 70, based on 17 reviews.[14] Jamie Milton of DIY magazine wrote that "when going for the jugular, BANKS combines unbending confidence, warts 'n all detail and gigantic choruses in the same move", adding that "The Altar is very close to being a razor-sharp pop blueprint."[15] George Garner of Q magazine called the album "[s]tunning", stating that "Banks has excelled at transforming accrued romantic scarring into mesmeric songcraft" and "The Altar marks a radical intensification of her talents".[16] Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic opined that "Banks has strengthened her voice—resolutely and with increased production value—in the two years since her debut Goddess."[17] Shahzaib Hussain of Clash viewed The Altar as "more textured and artful than Goddess, BANKS growing into her role as a writer, upholding the sensual melancholia that characterised her debut."[18]

Sputnikmusic commented that "[t]he confidence on this album is inspired, observable, and the clear result of Banks' growth as a songwriter."[19] Kellan Miller of Drowned in Sound noted that Banks is "even more unfiltered and tenacious on The Altar than she was on Goddess" and that she is "perfectly comfortable in her own skin and artistic abilities, and it shows immensely on The Altar".[20] Writing for Rolling Stone, Maura Johnston concluded that "Banks' list of grievances can get wearying, but the music's dour detail is alluring too."[21] Kate Hutchinson of The Guardian described the album as "claustrophobic with try-hardness" and felt that "Banks doesn't sound empowered, she sounds stretched".[22] In a mixed review, Andrew Paschal of PopMatters expressed that "[t]he high points of The Altar are nearly perfect, but these are outnumbered by a massive middle section unremarkable, uninspired filler."[23] Katherine St. Asaph of Pitchfork found that "The Altar has a lot in common with Goddess, including its fatal flaw: its attempts to position Banks as edgy or dangerous, despite all musical evidence to the contrary."[24]

Commercial performance

The Altar debuted at number 17 on the US Billboard 200 with 14,220 copies sold in pure album sales.[25] [26] The album debuted at number 24 on the UK Albums Chart, selling 3,229 copies in its first week.[27]

Track listing

Notes

Sample credits

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Altar.[29]

Musicians

Technical

Artwork

Release history

Release dates and formats for The Altar
RegionDateFormatLabel
VariousSeptember 30, 2016Harvest[30] [31] [32]
United KingdomVirgin EMI[33] [34]

Notes and References

  1. News: Stevenson . Jane . Banks talks 'The Altar' and getting a boost from the Weeknd . . September 30, 2016 . July 24, 2018.
  2. Web site: Brumfitt . Stuart . Banks on The Weeknd and Being "A Weird Little Alien" . . September 22, 2016 . July 25, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160924203710/https://amuse-i-d.vice.com/banks-on-the-weeknd-and-being-a-weird-little-alien/ . September 24, 2016.
  3. Web site: Roth . Madeline . BANKS Is Back And 'Better' With A Sinister New Song And Video . https://archive.today/20161130010651/http://www.mtv.com/news/2371063/banks-better-video/ . dead . November 30, 2016 . . November 4, 2015 . July 18, 2016.
  4. Martin . Paley . The Weeknd Announces The Madness Fall Tour With Travi$ Scott, Halsey & Banks . . August 21, 2015 . July 18, 2016.
  5. Web site: Wass . Mike . BANKS Finishes Recording Her Sophomore LP . . June 8, 2016 . July 18, 2016.
  6. Web site: Lee . Christina . BANKS Reveals New Album Title & Cover Art . Idolator . July 30, 2016 . October 3, 2016.
  7. Web site: F**k with Myself – Single by Banks . . United States . July 30, 2016.
  8. Blistein . Jon . Watch Banks' Defiant 'F--k With Myself' Video . . July 12, 2016 . July 24, 2018.
  9. Grant . Sarah . Hear Banks' Hypnotic, Stinging New Single 'Gemini Feed' . Rolling Stone . August 2, 2016 . July 24, 2018.
  10. Web site: Gemini Feed – Single by Banks . iTunes Store . United States . August 20, 2016.
  11. Web site: Mind Games – Single by Banks . iTunes Store . United States . August 20, 2016.
  12. Web site: To the Hilt – Single by Banks . iTunes Store . United States . October 3, 2016.
  13. Web site: BANKS has a nightmarish new video for 'Trainwreck' . . January 18, 2017 . January 22, 2017.
  14. Web site: The Altar by Banks Reviews and Tracks . . October 15, 2016.
  15. Web site: Milton . Jamie . Banks – The Altar . DIY . September 30, 2016 . October 4, 2016.
  16. Garner . George . Q Review: New Albums . . 365 . November 2016 . 102 . 0955-4955.
  17. Web site: Yeung . Neil Z. . The Altar – Banks . . October 4, 2016.
  18. Web site: Hussain . Shahzaib . BANKS – The Altar . . October 12, 2016 . October 15, 2016.
  19. Web site: Banks – The Altar . Sputnikmusic . September 30, 2016 . October 4, 2016.
  20. Web site: Miller . Kellan . Banks – The Altar . . September 30, 2016 . October 4, 2016 . October 3, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161003170141/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/19640/reviews/4150454 . dead .
  21. Johnston . Maura . Maura Johnston . Review: Banks Rides Nervy Beats Into Heart of Darkness on 'The Altar' . Rolling Stone . September 30, 2016 . July 24, 2018.
  22. Web site: Hutchinson . Kate . Banks: The Altar review – an unconvincing 2016 pop moodboard . . September 29, 2016 . October 4, 2016.
  23. Web site: Paschal . Andrew . Banks: The Altar . . October 5, 2016 . July 24, 2018.
  24. Web site: St. Asaph . Katherine . Banks: The Altar . . October 12, 2016 . October 15, 2016.
  25. Billboard 200: The week of October 22, 2016 . . October 14, 2016.
  26. Web site: Building Album Sales Chart . . October 14, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161008075533/http://hitsdailydouble.com/building_album_chart . October 8, 2016.
  27. Web site: Jones . Alan . Official Charts Analysis: James Arthur holds top spot in singles chart . . October 7, 2016 . October 7, 2016 . subscription.
  28. Web site: Mind Games (BMI Work #23172795) . . December 31, 2021.
  29. The Altar . liner notes . . . 2016 . 2547762979.
  30. Web site: The Altar: BANKS . . United States . July 24, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161120021538/https://www.amazon.com/Altar-Banks/dp/B01JIZAU5M . November 20, 2016.
  31. Web site: The Altar [LP]

    BANKS ]

    . Amazon . United States . July 24, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180408110026/https://www.amazon.com/Altar-LP-Banks/dp/B01JIZAU3O . April 8, 2018.
  32. Web site: The Altar by Banks . iTunes Store . United States . July 24, 2018.
  33. Web site: The Altar: BANKS . Amazon . United Kingdom . July 24, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180724093057/https://www.amazon.co.uk/Altar-Banks/dp/B01JIZAU5M . July 24, 2018.
  34. Web site: Banks The Altar : Vinyl 12″ Album . . July 24, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180724062655/https://store.hmv.com/music/vinyl/the-altar . July 24, 2018.

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