I've been a Banks fan for many years now and I've listened to most of her music (my last name is not based on her but I like that we share the name). I enjoyed Serpentina overall and it is truly a celebration of her freedom. I will note, however, that the freedom is somewhat in shackles. The growth this album in relation to her past discography is inconsistent and unclear. After years ofI've been a Banks fan for many years now and I've listened to most of her music (my last name is not based on her but I like that we share the name). I enjoyed Serpentina overall and it is truly a celebration of her freedom. I will note, however, that the freedom is somewhat in shackles. The growth this album in relation to her past discography is inconsistent and unclear. After years of putting out tracks, I expected the album to have a more divergent sound from her previous work while still sounding like Banks. Despite that, the sound IS refined, solidified, and absolutely has that Banks sound. It has a pleasantly constructed message for each track, branching out to different emotions and musical compositions bravely and effortlessly; Banks never dances too far from the overarching sound of the album yet encompasses a plethora of variance. As usual, the production is heavily emphasized and, when compared to her prior discography, is done best in Serpentina. Lyrically, the album is strong and has a "I know what I'm about" energy to it, but this highlights a potential roadbump for Banks she seems to run into frequently in her career. The artist struggles to articulate her words through the emphasized production, making it hard to understand the lyrics much too often. In some tracks, Banks's cyber-siren vocals almost become the musical production itself. Though this sound is iconic for her and I do enjoy it regardless of the hazy lyrics, it is ultimately not so favorable to consistently have this issue, especially for new listeners. I enjoy the Banks style, but I do acknowledge that a bit of refining on the balance of production with the lyrical content is an aspect she should pay more mind to. It is possible to have heavy production while still communicating the lyrics in a concise manner. She has amazing writing with a unique message only Banks could pull off with this level of production, so it is a shame that her lyrics can be muddled out for the aforementioned reasons. This is not ALWAYS a negative, though, as her voice mixing into the production is iconic for her discography and portrays an effect that cannot be captured if properly articulated and balanced. It's simply an issue when it happens too much, which it unfortunately does with Serpentina. Overall, the album is fantastic and her best to date from my perspective. Though not the best example in the world for showcasing musical growth, it is absolutely the top performer for portraying who Banks is and the specific sound she creates.… Expand