Goddess

Granted most of the songs on this album were previously debuted via her EP or as singles, Goddess is a fresh take on female R&B. It’s equal parts soft and loud, aggressive and shy, digital and acoustic - in a way it's a musical representation of the modern young woman.

The thing I like most about Ms. Jillian Banks, more than her icy, fragile voice, more than her thrashing production, more than her enticingly confident demeanor, even more than her (real cute) face, are her words. It’s no secret that if you have a sultry voice you can get away with saying some real average stuff while still gaining critical praise. Banks does no such thing. Her lyrics are hard to categorize. They’re somewhat metaphorical - never quite direct, but not really meant to disguise their meaning. She kind of speaks in phrases, that when strung together over the course of a song paint a bigger picture of the emotion she’s trying to convey. She’s not political, she’s personal, but not overexposed. It’s probably easier to listen to than explain. 

The first song I heard of hers was Brain. From the title I figured it’d be something like “You’re so blah blah blah you make my brain blah blah blah”, the usual topical hopeless infatuation that’s sweeping the nation. I hit play and the distant, almost submerged instrumentation made it evident that wasn’t about to be the case. Then her eery voice. Then she repeated the verse and I had to make sure I heard her right; because in the same way when you hear poppy R&B and assume the words are all replaceable, when I hear heavily produced R&B I assume it’s gonna be about sex in some form or another. It was not. The line is, "I can see you struggling, boy don’t hurt your brain, trying to look hard but not too hard to threaten anything they say”. Replace hard with smart for the 2nd verse. In layman’s terms, she’s analyzing the mind of a dude on the prowl, making a clear distinction between herself and the caliber woman he’s hoping to pull. It’s an awareness that’s all too forgotten in the oversexed, overconfident musical industry. She’s not explicitly looking past him, dismissing his childishness and marking him as out of her league, and she’s not looking for him, hoping he has what she wants. She’s looking at him, seeing his game for what it is.

Normally I wouldn’t go into specifics about songs but this interaction kind of sums up half the album for me (the other half being the more vulnerable appropriation of her voice and soul, mostly about downfalls of past relationships). Know that it’s not a sad album; in fact most songs are upbeat, however there isn’t a track on here that’ll make you get up and dance.

On that note, the production is more of a talking point. Each song is its own experience; it’s mostly a mix of synths, electronic noises, and drums (with the occasional piano), albeit some songs stray from that formula. But while many of the songs have similar vibes, the content of the whole body is more just about her than any particular thing, which brings up a negative for me: this album is less a body of work and more a collection of songs. Like I said, most of these were on the EP (London), and that’s where they would’ve been better suited. I know some people don’t prefer one way to another, but in my opinion, if you’re gonna put out an album it needs to be cohesive. However, this jambalaya scenario brings about some interesting phenomena. First, since every song is so good, I find myself listening to the whole thing but in random order, or not all in one sitting. For example, I’m often in the mood for the soft half of the album at home but the more abrasive half in the car. Second, I listen to this album all the time. We all categorize music whether consciously or subconsciously into moods, and since the mood of this album is rather diverse I'll put it on while working, showering, eating, driving, whatever. If I skip enough songs I’ll be sure to hit something that suits what I’m doing, and I usually just end up listening to the whole thing after that. So while the thematic inconsistency may take it down a notch on the rating it doesn’t reflect how good any individual song is.

If you’re new to her voice it won’t be unsettling, but it may be a bit unusual. Expanding on the use of “fragile” earlier: her tone is soft enough in some places most people wouldn’t be able to hold the note with that little air, and that bit of rasp makes it seem like her voice could crack or drop out if she goes any higher or lower, yet she can hit some notes down in the male register, making room for some sounds in the higher register that would crowd a lot of female singers. Admittedly, after hearing the EP and all the singles she released this fall, I was kind of tired of her sound; I thought her voice was somewhere between a style and a gimmick (that tremolo she uses to replace a natural vibrato can get old if you hear it on every song), and it felt like she was limited to a very specific type of production with lots of post processing. But with the full album and the addition of all these softer tracks, it’s evident that the girl really can sing, and can put out some power if the song calls for that level of passion (Under the Table). In short, she adapts well. And not only is being able to bust out some notes good for her credibility as a singer, but it really makes the words stand out from production that’s very easy to get lost in.

A quick addition: 6 of these songs have music videos, and one of those traits that embodies the modern young woman is really amplified visually - Independence. Almost every video features Banks either standing still looking into the camera or dancing (on the ballet end of the spectrum) solely. Even on the occasions that there are others, the story of the video is always, clearly, her. Whether it be showing her strength or her sensitivity, the message is her independence, and based on what I’ve read, seen, and heard from her, it’s authentic. It gives a sense of evidence behind what could be considered an overconfident or overcompensative title, Goddess. 

Overall, BANKS’ first album is much recommended. You can listen all the way through, the soft ending she chose has just enough contrast to the songs before it that it leaves you satisfied, the production is intense but not outlandish, the lyrics are inspired, her sound is completely unique, and artistry flows from her with an ease that's unmistakable. Check the album out on Spotify or watch some of her videos if you’re in a discovering mood.

Rating: 8.5

Favorite Song: Change