WHITE VINYL

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.

A1        Misunderstood
A2        Meteorite
A3        Fuck Love
A4        Deadend
A5        Holding Back
A6        The Devil
B1        Skinnydipped
B2        Burn
B3        Birds By The Sea
B4        Spirit
B5        Anything 4 U
B6        Unleavable
B7        I Still Love You