This is part of Creative Loafing Tampa's new issue, The Year In Music. See and listen to the rest of our top albums here.
Banks, The Altar (Harvest) Alt-R&B performer Banks followed up her 2014 debut album in a manner that sets the bar incredibly high for her. The Altar, released in September, proves that Banks is a force of her own. The moody atmosphere she created on her first album, Goddess, is perfected on Altar, but this time her lyrics are stronger, more inquisitive and more empowering. Although Pitchfork’s review of The Altar was anything but forgiving, when one keeps in mind the fact that Banks is a project by singer-songwriter Jillian Banks, one can’t help but appreciate the risks she took on this particular album, especially in tracks “Fuck With Myself” and “Haunt.” Different and catchy, Altar was a journey through moody vocals and abstract atmospheres — something worth mentioning. —Kelly Smith
This article appears in Dec 15-22, 2016.