"To the Hilt" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter

Banks A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Because ...

for her second studio album, ''

The Altar ''The Altar'' is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Banks, released on September 30, 2016, by Harvest Records. Banks collaborated with several producers on the album, including Tim Anderson, Sohn, and Al Shux, with whom ...

'' (2016). It was released as the album's fourth single on September 16, 2016. The song was written by Banks and Sohn and produced by Sohn.

Composition

"To the Hilt" was written by Banks and Sohn and produced by Sohn. The song is a

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

lasts for a duration of 4:36. The song's

instrumentation Instrumentation a collective term for measuring instruments that are used for indicating, measuring and recording physical quantities. The term has its origins in the art and science of scientific instrument-making. Instrumentation can refer to ...

comes from

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

and

strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

. ''Sputnikmusic'' labeled it as "the mirrored reflection of the way she opened the album". Lyrically, "To the Hilt" talks about a former lover and a devastating reflection on love lost. Karen Gwee of

Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...

thought that its lyrical content "is a little more transparent and clumsily". The song begins with a "somber orchestral" piano opening, followed by the lines "Oh, it seems a long time ago/ Oh, we didn't know/ Before we had seen anything/ We believed in everything" sung by Banks. During the

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

, she sings, "Hated you for leavin' me/ You were my muse for so long/ Now I'm drained creatively/ I miss you on my team".

Critical reception

Carl Williott of ''

Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books *''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...

'' said that "it's just a piano and her voice, a far cry from her gloomy, Weeknd-influenced take on pop– R&B. Near the end, some spectral elements briefly augment the arrangement, but this one's all about the delicate emotions at play." Katherine St. Asaph of ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

'' described the song as "a straightforward piano-and-strings ballad". Andrew Paschal of ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

'' said that "the song is a devastating reflection on love lost, long after the anger has subsided, and she is left with only an empty space and some memories. Banks quivers over every line, in total communion with her melancholic piano", adding that "the song is her "

This Woman's Work "This Woman's Work" is a song written and performed by the British singer Kate Bush. It was originally featured on the soundtrack of the American film ''She's Having a Baby'' (1988). The song was released as the second single from her album ''T ...

", and its presence does a lot to help the album." Sputnikmusic noted that " o the Hiltprovides a polar opposite to "

Gemini Feed "Gemini Feed" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Banks for her second studio album, ''The Altar'' (2016). It was released as the album's second single on August 3, 2016, and it debuted on Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1 show. The song wa ...

." The blood-soaked laundry list of what went wrong is only comforting for so long, and it does little to replace what has evaporated by the time loss sets in. Flanked by nothing more than a minimalist piano".

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from

Tidal Tidal is the adjectival form of tide. Tidal may also refer to: * Tidal (album), ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple * Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim * TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music * ...

. * Jilian Banks – vocals, songwriting * Sohn – songwriting, production, keyboards, mixing, recording engineering, synthesizer

Release history

References

{{Banks 2016 singles 2016 songs Banks (singer) songs Harvest Records singles Songs written by Banks (singer) Songs about heartache Pop ballads