Music duo Banks & Steelz collaborates on new album

Rap and rock mashups have taken the music world by storm several times over, but Banks & Steelz still find a way to stand out in their upcoming album Anything But Words set for release on Friday.

No one could help but smirk when they first heard “Yeezer,” an Ohio State University student’s mashup of famous Kanye West and Weezer songs. Similarly, when Wiz Khalifa fired off “Joint in my hand, rocking jewels / My job, I do it too well” on the remix of Fall Out Boy’s “Uma Thurman,” people also raised eyebrows. In the landscape of rap and rock combos, the pair effortlessly blend their different styles into one singular genre. The duo is made up of Paul Banks, lead singer of beloved post-punk revival group Interpol, and RZA, hip-hop icon and founding member of Wu-Tang Clan.

It’s surprising to hear such hunger and passion behind Banks & Steelz sound. The pair play with the eagerness of new musicians despite each having beyond 20 years of experience. They create a stand-out style with their album.

“Giant,” one of the duo’s the most popular singles, also serves as a description of their potential as artists. The upbeat festival feel in their music is matched with a precise and clean sound seemingly influenced by early 2000’s British grime music. RZA spits emotion to play off Banks’ raw vocals. Like most rap and rock collaborations, “Giant” takes the rap for verses and the rock for a gritty sound and the chorus vocals. As more tracks are released, one can hope that the duo play around with the collaboration formatting to stand out even further.

Their first single off the album is “Love + War (feat. Ghostface Killah).” The song begins like a New Orleans-influenced funeral march only to find itself as an indie-rock, Latin-influenced track. Banks, again, contributes his gentle, growling vocals. Horns softly cry to a smooth, continuous flow. The only variation is provided by the different tempos of Ghostface Killah and RZA’s verses.

Their most recent single, “Anything But Words,” starts out with lullaby-like melody accompanied by Banks’ vocals. In this song, Banks’ voice returns to the sound it has become known for, the one heard in every Interpol track. The percussion fluctuates between a slow beat to an undemanding drum roll that echoes throughout the entire song. This single lends itself closer to Banks’ musical background. It forgoes the peppier feel of “Giant” and the soulful vibe of “Love + War” for a darker, heavier experience.

Banks & Steelz mark an important moment in the musical shift toward combining genres, similar to when Phantogram and Big Boi combined for Big Grams. The two represent the mentality that genres are descriptors not definitions and that music will become a more fluid art.

To catch them live, the band will be performing at the FYF Fest at Exposition Park on Sunday.