BANKS – “Better” (Singles Going Steady)

Ryan Dieringer: Banks is so focused shaping her delivery that we can really only hear the one line well: “I can love you better than she”, which besides being remarkably good grammar, is held down by the weight of her affect. But that it doesn’t evoke a true narrative may be the point. Given a track devoid of romantic feeling, it’s unclear whether she is pining, or just bragging about her skills. The latter would be a nice feminist score, and for that I’m feeling positive about this super stylized track that might otherwise escape my attention. [7/10]

Steve Horowitz: Hey! This some sensual music. The video is purposely kind of creepy, but that just makes the sex more interesting. The builds and drops flow but this is the kind of soundscape that most people either love or hate. I am lost in the middle. [5/10]

Dustin Ragucos: It’s a shame that the whimpering holds the only bit of genuine emotion. What could have been thought of as a chant worth meditating to becomes piled with all this sonic weight that makes the vocalizing that much uninteresting. There’s so much obsession crammed into this song, but I do not care at all. [3/10]

COMBO SCORE: 5.00