Serpentina

by Banks

Overview

Three years, a global pandemic, and a diagnosis of an autoimmune disorder between albums, Californian alternative R&B singer/songwriter Banks returned with plenty to express on her fourth set, Serpentina. Named for the skin-shedding rebirth of the titular reptilian inspiration, the LP is sonically consistent with her previous albums, draping her icy cool vocals over electro-hip-hop production that skitters, slides, and soothes across over a dozen tracks. Banks' voice remains the main draw, a finely honed instrument that can convey both deep heartbreak ("Deadend") and rapturous longing ("Anything 4 U"). Serpentina starts strong with the more pulse-pounding moments, including the handclaps- and voice-sampling standout "Meteorite," the digitized aggression of the self-explanatory "Fuck Love," and the swirling, hollow-bass boom of "Holding Back." The mood soon turns with the haunted production of "The Devil," which recalls fellow Angelino Billie Eilish, and the back half of the album balances introspection and measured hope (the gospel-kissed "Spirit" with Samoht), sounding like a collision between the most subdued material from Tove Lo and Rihanna. While Serpentina manages to add some fresh highlights to Banks' catalog, it never veers too far from her established formula, for better or worse. ~ Neil Z. Yeung

Product Details

Release Date:	07/08/2022
Label:	Awal / Her Name Is Banks
UPC:	5056167168584
Rank:	66491

Tracks

1. Misunderstood
2. Meteorite
3. Fuck Love
4. Deadend
5. Holding Back
6. The Devil
7. Skinnydipped
8. Burn
9. Birds by the Sea
10. Spirit
11. Anything 4 U
12. Unleavable
13. I Still Love You

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Banks   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Jeff Gitelman   Composer
Ben Darwish   Composer
Alexander Shuckburgh   Composer
Orlando Higginbottom   Composer
Rachel Moulden   Composer
Peder Losnegard   Composer
Jasmin Tadjiky   Composer
Henry Laufer   Composer
Jillian Banks   Composer
Israel Heller   Composer
Eliot Dubock   Composer
Jeff Kleinman   Composer
Alex Gruz   Composer
STIKMATIK   Composer
Parker Thomas   Composer