Paul Banks has finally gotten serious about his solo career. The Interpol front man retired the rather silly moniker “Julian Plenti” and released Banks, which is a collection of sometimes engaging and sometimes infuriating tracks that can’t quite seem to escape the Interpol vibe.

The best track on Banks is the stunning “Over My Shoulder,” which are the best lyrics that Banks has never put into an Interpol track with jaw-dropping use of syncopation. Unfortunately, the rest of the album falls back into a familiar sound for all of those familiar with Interpol, with the only occasional respite from that style being the moments of heavy TV On the Radio influence in “No Mistakes” and “The Base.” Except for the truly terrible “Another Chance,” which involved a monologue of a guy stating that his mental illness is an inability to control how alcohol impacts him over a brooding instrumental, Banks is an overall pleasant listen. It’s not particularly engaging or riveting, but a decent record none the less.

(Matador Records, 304 Hudson St., 7th Floor, New York, NY 10013)