Reviews (page 2 of 8)
3.5
I'm surprised I had not heard of this guy when I read about starting early 2000's with a bunch of bands I know. This album had some good parts but the majority of this was pretty bad. "Todo los Dolores" was the best song imo and choose to pronounce that as the woman's name than Mexican dollars.
This was a pretty cool psych-folk album. His voice is ok, but the songwriting is fantastic.
Released in 2004, this album is categorized as New Weird America, Psychedelic Folk or Freak Folk. It's produced by Michael Gira from Swans. The songs are in a non traditional style with strange lyrics sung in a strange voice. Some sound a bit like children's songs. I appreciate his guitar playing. He's good. The songs are numerous, vary a bit and short which is good for keeping my attention. I like it because it's interesting. Top songs are A Sight to Behold, Rejoicing_in_the_Hands, Fall and Insect Eyes.
Beautiful. Atmospheric and sweet. I liked the very beginning of the album slightly more, I think.
I like my folk so was excited to see an album I haven’t listened to before on the list, but left pretty underwhelmed
This is nice - not much more than nice, but nice is nice
Pretty generic "alt folk". Bit irritating at times, but it had it's moments.
This album doesn't provide anything but slight annoyance. Solid one star boredom.
#469 / 1089 Heard before? ❌ Revisit? ❌ Too much folk, not enough psychedelia. I have to reiterate this every time, but I don't care for lyrics until very late in the "process of finding my favourite music", sometimes not then either. The music on this album is spread very thin, it's all vocals telling a story with a melody. I got very bored very fast and didn't make it through even half way before I started skipping and stopped all together. I mean, it's better than plain folk, I guess. Barely 2/5
It is currently absolutely throwing it down in North Wales, and the clouds are so heavy they are skimming the ancient peaks. I'm listening as I sit in the hostel lounge. -------------------------------------------------------- Man and a guitar minimalist acoustic folk. Inoffensive the ear but lacking in variety. Each song weaves into the next with no standout moments. Neutral.
I always thought i liked Banhart (definitely at least a couple songs) but my god this record is kinda really boring?? Like the guitar playing is nice and very pleasant but when all you have is (mostly) that and his voice, it leaves you wishing there was more and not in a good way. Some tracks are downright irritating. I just like…don’t buy it for some reason? The shakiness in his voice (and forgive me talking out of school here) sounds like a put-on and a gimmick. Some songs sound like they’re unfinished. You don’t REALLY need to pad out the track list like that all the time my guy. This could easily be a fine <40 minute record. There are two or three nice tracks on here though! It’s not all bad! Todo los Delores is good. This Beard is for Siobhan is a nice change of pace with some percussion.
Favorite Track: This is the Way
bune
I did not rejoice in the hands of this record. Folk music is just not my thing. That shaky voice with the guitars, sorry. Enough
Soothing
MALE MID-00s ACOUSTIC INDIE SINGER STARTERPACK: - Singing voice is a cross between a 1920s gangster and a cat that belongs to a smoker - Never sings in full, unaffected voice, ever - Allegedly a master songwriter despite frequently breaking meter in ways that make the songs feel unfinished rather than daring - John Fahey-inspired guitar figures (the best part) - Slightly out-of-tune old-timey piano - Jeans appear to have been borrowed from girlfriend or female relative - Pretends to be a starving artist despite obvious privileged background - Vaguely queer-coded but in what feels like a queerbaiting sort of way - More abstract lyrics are just jumbled nature descriptions consisting of what a college freshman has in mind when they use the word "imagery" in their gen-ed level English class - More direct lyrics are as horny as any KISS song but nobody seems to notice - Every woman you know is positively head over heels for this shit - Ultimately not terrible but nowhere near as moving as everyone around you seems to think it is; the problem must be you
It’s Dolly what more can I say. RIP
**A good, easy listening album
I actually really liked this
Mediocre 2000s indie. Could have been Jake Bugg. Wouldn’t have known the difference
Good album with good variation and good songs
This is a time capsule album for me. I was listening to an indie station and they played songs from this album. Favorite tracks: This Is the Way, Will Is My Friend, Tis Smoking in the..., Fall
Folky. Not my usual taste but it entertained well.
Mostly quite pleasant, although some tracks slip by with little notice. Favourite track: Insect Eyes
Certainly interesting, don't know that I'll go back to it
This wasn’t bad, but I struggled to connect to it. I remember Devendra Banhart’s name being floated around the hipster circles back in the mid-aughts, and I guess I’m finally getting the chance to see what all the fuss was about. I’m not sure I understand exactly why this was guy was an indie darling at the time other than a lot of indie stuff at the time skewed folksy. Like I said, I’m not sure I get what the big deal is here. He’s not really doing much that Sufjan Stevens wasn’t already doing better at the time. It’s fine, but nothing to write home about. 6.5/10
Listened to this last night while making dinner and I do not remember anything about it
I think I was in the mood for something a little more up beat when I listened to this.
2.5 - Interesting. Sometimes I really like it, other times it was a bit annoying. I think I could like it more in a different headspace.
I got a lil bored
Ugh no.
Some of the music is okay, but for me the vocals are pretty weak. 2 stars or D+.
Didn't catch my attention.
Nice voice, lyrics and guitar playing
Quaint singer songwriter stuff here but nothing outstanding.
Very good vibes for the morning and like the mixing of guitar a lot.
I didn't get very far
Good
Psychedelic folk is it? OK whatever.... Pretty good guitar in all honesty, his voice is nothing remarkable, slightly annoying, but I'm sticking it out. It's a bit like the offcuts of a Tyrannosaurus rex or Donovan album, but not as good. Not as terrible as some of the reviews on here would suggest, but then again I don't mind things that are a little weird.
This didn't tickle the space in my brain that Devendra Banhart normally does, but it did make me happy
I was vibing until poughkeepsie...
Forty-two-minute album with most songs sub-3 minutes? Very promising start. Honestly, dude's a pretty good acoustic guitar player. His voice trends too close to annoying with that micro-vibrato. And I fell asleep. So there's that.
Worse than Coldplay
I'm not sure where all the hate for this album is coming from. The dude's voice has a tight vibrato but otherwise is unremarkable. Maybe the lyrics are divisive? I couldn't decipher any of them, so - maybe that's it. Otherwise this is just slightly eccentric indie folk. Mostly harmless. THREE STARS
I really liked the guitar playing, not entirely sure about the guys voice but I dont hate it. really dont understand why so many seem to dislike this album so strongly
Surprisingly cozy. Good of you need a chill acoustic album. 7/10
Good album.
File this one under pretty basic. In a word, the songwriting and acoustic guitar playing are minimal. I didn't mind the singer.
Holy middle school iPod 😂
This is dreadful. I've just been exposed to way too many people in too many coffee shops who have way more talent. The writing is mediocre best. His voice is minuscule. The only thing that is slightly redeeming is that he has some halfway decent guitar work in places. I'm not sure why this is on here other than showing us How awful coffee shop music can be. There is good coffee shop music out there... this isn't it.
Enjoyable, peaceful, no song in particular stood out, but Devendra has been added as a favourite artist, I wanna hear more.
I used to have a much higher tolerance for ~qUiRkY~ voices because I loved this album, and I still find the minimalist arrangements quite beautiful even if the singing is a bit much
it is nice and works as a vibe change, but nothing really stood out to me much. I did like the first 2 songs, got really bored afterwards, and it was a mix of ok and meh songs then. I did like the song Fall, but I agree with other commentators, the album is longer than it's desired to be
From the synopsis I really expected something different and cool. This was terrible, generic Indie wank. An overly long album, of similar sounding songs, and stuff that sounds the same as every other pissy Indie wank that came out at the same time. Definitely not a must listen to album.
John Fahey-ish guitar plunking accompanied by a warbly hippy voice. I know that sounds bad, but it isn't, not at all, not when the songs are this good. Best track: "This Beard Is For Siobhan"
Guess my 5-streak of banger albums had to end at some point. This seems like fairly inoffensive indie pop-folk/psych folk. Although the excessive vibrato he puts on can get annoying. Also, sometimes seems like he just runs out of lyrics/ideas like on Poughkeepsie where he spends like 5 seconds just saying "buhbuhbuhbuhbuh" repeatedly, and on other songs that are only like a minute long. Definitely Walking Dead-core. In that I mean, it sounds like music that they'd pick for the closing track for a Walking Dead episode or trailer. But I definitely liked Walking Dead-core artists like Wye Oak, Jose Gonzalez, Gustavo Santollala (Last of Us), and Sharon Van Etten more. Decent album. May have heard This is the Way and Insect Eyes before, but don't know if I'd put it on the list.
2000s folk rock. Really lovely, strummy 200s folk. Gentle and floaty.
Good guitar work.
Love this album! First time I heard it a few years ago, I thought it was nice but didn't give it much thought after that. Then it came up on this list, and I realized how great it is after hearing it several times today. It just keeps getting better. So nice after hearing some loud noise rock album previously. I'll take this any day of the week. Standouts: This is the Way, The Body Breaks, The Beard is for Siobhan, Todos Los Dolores 5/5 5/5
You’re expecting me to believe this is a top 1000 album of all time? Definitely not I don’t believe it.
1. uuay - 1 2. zight - 2 3. body - 2 4. pough - 0 5. dogz - 2 6. friend - 1 7. beard - 2 8. zee - 2 9. temple - 0 10. handz - 1 11. fall - 0 12. dolorez - 2 13. zhone - 1 14. zun - 2 15. eyez - 1 16. child - 2
un poco me irrito
Pretty good like mellow album, was surprised by how much I liked it!
🙌🏻🩴🪶🍃🏕️
The general musical style generally reminds me of what Joanna Newsom's Ys sounded to me, but where that record just didn't impress me, this one bored me. It's the kind of music the barefoot shirtless guy with a guitar on the street with the case open in front of him accepting donations would play. That being said, in this day and age you'd find more compelling styles of this music just scrolling through the acoustic guitar tag on TikTok, or failing that, listening to your own local barefoot shirtless guy playing guitar on the street. Not to mention that you can't even appreciate it from a technical side either; a lot of this just sounds like initial demos but marketed as "authentic" or "semi live". In general, a hard pass.
Um 3.5, as vezes fazia lembrar filho da mae
Interessante, ouvia outra vez
Um bocado esquisito, mas interessante!
Pretty lame, Milhouse
Enjoyed the psychedelic folk sound but nothing overly wowed me.
Reminds me of Elliott Smith and Nick Drake (the picking). The waver in his voice reminds me of someone but I can’t place it. I like a lot of the guitar but the lyrics don’t quite grab me. It’s fine.
I really enjoyed this.
In God's? Yes!
LOVEIT didn’t mean to judge an album by its cover but was such a peaceful low cortisol vibe
Removed Album #35 (List: https://pastebin.com/cSThNiK9) From the Vault #27 (April 8, 2026) Yet another removed, snubbed, hacked into a bajillion pieces album. I've got another easy prediction on my hands here. Going by the album cover and title, this is obviously some hippie dippie folky boolshite. Been a while since the last one of these. I sure am ready to be sitting in place, unmoved by some milquetoast acoustic guitars and self-indulgent lyrics for 40 minutes. Here goes. Yeah. This sucked, though it did feature occasional moments of competence. The guitars are the most remarkable aspect, obviously. There are some delicate melodies and intricate compositions packed in here, but such moments are few and far between. For the most part, this album is comprised of samey, repetitious acoustic guitars paired with the occasional bit of backing ambience. Not very engaging. What hurts this album most are the vocals. I'm not sure what he's going for with that whole faux-Southern drawl thing. It doesn't sound authentic, and neither is it entertaining or engaging. The vocals are kind of irritating on the whole with how restrained they are and how avoidant Devendra is in committing to a single style. Overall, this was a dull listen. Time to figure out why this album was removed. Here goes. Included in the original 1001 lineup and pulled from either the 2018 or 2021 editions of the book (I don't have a scan of either). Wow - it lasted quite a while. Way longer than I was expecting. The entry for this album says that Devendra was pigeonholed as a frontrunner of indie folk following the release of his first album, but he "...smartly sidesteps the celebrity factor by paging through an even more dog-eared singer/songwriter sketchbook of rustic string-picked things." "...he pushes his polymorphous perversity way beyond referential revisionism into other-worldly originality." Why are hippies like this? "Basically, Banhart is impossible to decode using any of the old folk Rosetta Stones." This entry is way too high off its own supply. Wikipedia says this album was well-received by critics and sold 24,000 copies in the US. Not much when compared to the other figures I've been seeing for niche/world music lately, but I suppose that's respectable. The Netherlands especially liked this album - it peaked at no. 30 on their charts. It was also a modest success on the French charts, but that's about it. Why was this album removed? The love of the critics seems to be only thing holding up this nomination. It isn't popular, it isn't particularly good and I doubt it was influential. That being said, I'm not opposed to including a contemporary, indie folk album. I'm pretty sure this is the first one I've encountered on the list and the genre does have some significance. From my non-music historian perspective, I'm pretty sure folk had a bit of a resurgence in popularity throughout the mid-to-late 2000s and early 2010s, striking gold with a millennial hippie audience. I'm also certain that the success of indie folk left a mark on early 2010s pop music. Again, not a music historian, but I recall there being quite a few pop rock songs from the early 2010s with a rustic or otherwise "authentic" sound. "Counting Stars" by OneRepublic is what immediately comes to mind, but there's gotta be a better example than that. Lemme go digging. "Best Day of my Life" by American Authors. There's some Strokes-esque indie rock flavouring in the vocals, but come on. There's no way the instrumental and backing vocals weren't influenced by indie folk. As I have conclusively proven, I think contemporary folk has earned its stripes insofar as historical significance is concerned, even if the genre and the music it influenced are both kind of shit. The album which represents this period of music definitely needs to be switched, however. The only other 2000s indie folk album I'm familiar with is Lifted by Bright Eyes, which really rubbed me the wrong way. Moreso than this album, but I remember that music being more competent than the aloof guitars and complete lack of confidence which is shown on this album. I switcharoo this inclusion.
Ok
So this is a guy I felt like I always slept on and would probably like. Well, he's no longer slept on, but I don't think I missed much.
Where has this been all my life?!
I listened to this album and it was okay.
I really wanted to hate this because the guy looks like he must be annoying. But damned if I wasn't into it. Really fun guitar parts. Can't dwell on the lyrics too much - if you start wondering what "the milk of the sun" is you can't really enjoy the music anymore. Way too many songs but none of them really overstayed their welcome.
I mean is alright Rate 6/10
It’s fine, pleasant little modern folk. Nothing struck me as outstanding or groundbreaking, not sure why needed to hear but it was nice little listen during my morning coffee and if it came up again wouldn’t turn off. Not sure about how essential but subjective etc. 3 star
Its' not bad. Kind of cosy. Will I Iisten to it again? Probably not.
Granted, I have never sold a single album but 24,000 feels light for a record to be considered a "must listen." Seems to be me like 24,000 in sales means very important people heard the album and recommended it. Then, those who heard Devendra Banhart's "Rejoicing in the Hands based on the recommendation of the important people decided the album was shit and didn't recommend "Rejoicing in the Hands" to anyone else. Listening to the album and it's kind of sleepy. It's not even appropriate freak-folk either, as this all sounds normal! I didn't really hate this and I don't really love it. I tried to listen really hard and determine why this album was included in the book. I think this is just not for me.
Разговор старого хиппи с вечностью. Невероятный приятный добрый и спокойный альбом. Чувствуется напряжённость, неоднородность и какая-то печаль, но спокойствие не покидает душу при прослушивании. Замечательный убаюкивающий голос простое и абстрактное сопровождение акустической гитары распространяет тепло и умиротворение по всей площади. Альбом идеален для медитативного отдыха в конце трудного и эмоционально заполненного дня. Оценка - 6/10.
Pleasant if not inspiring
I’m really not sure what to say about this one - I didn’t dislike it, but I didn’t really like it either. It was just on in the background, and I found that I had no inclination to pay much attention to it.
I cannot entirely tell whether I liked this or not. I liked the guitar, the way the vocals were slightly echoey. I'm not sold of the wibbly wobbly voice and the random quoting of Elvis. I think I possibly liked the idea of it more that the reality. It's going to get a slightly baffled 2. 2/5
nice guitar, shame about the vocals and the lyrics
This album starts out strong, but fades pretty quickly after the first few songs. Several tracks here feel more like doodles than completely realized compositions.
Not my favourite music but since it was released on Young God Records and has some pretty cool and dark stuff it gets its 3 stars.
I can't say it's the worst thing I've ever heard... but it might be close. 2/5
Nothing burger
Another talented musician RUINED because they didn’t have anyone in their life to tell them “dude you need to stop doing that thing with your voice, it sounds really stupid”
2/5
Whimsical, sometimes kinda spooky, acoustic singer-songwriter
Nothing against the guy, I just don’t care for it is all.
This sounds like Alt-J before they found an electric guitar. It's got that same quirky, off-kilter sound with an experimental streak running through it. It's perfectly fine, and there's nothing offensively bad about it. The songwriting has its moments, and I can understand why this style has a dedicated following. It just doesn't really do anything for me.
Lovely actually was happy to have listened to it
Gotta say that this is terrible. I really wanted to like this, but his voice is so, so, annoying and none of the songs are remotely engaging. There’s an air of pretentiousness to the entire experience that turned me off of the album entirely. I went in with high hopes and was seriously disappointed.
As bad as advertised.
Hermoso
Neat folk record from the 2000s, glad it was recommended, probably never would've sought it out otherwise. Highlights-This is The Way, A Sight To Behold, The Body Breaks, Poughkeepsie, This Beard is for Siobhán, Tit Smoking in the Temple of Artesan Mimicry, and When the Sun Shone On Vetiver.
Я устал слушать дрисню
... Interesting. There's some folk qualities that I enjoy here. I think the strange but poetic lyrics fit well with the guitar, even if the guitar tries to avoid being melodic at times. It feels kinda intimate, like I'm at an open mic at a coffee shop. But then some weird moments hit me, and they're hard to describe but they do take me out of the vibe when it happens. I like this album, though, weird stuff and all.
Started fine and then got annoying as it went on
Clearly this isn’t groundbreaking stuff, but sometimes it’s nice to soak in some easy-listening flimsy freak folk, of which Banhart was in the vanguard.
Quirky, okay for an occasional listen.
An interesting introduction. Sometimes a bit weird, sometimes quite o.k., sometimes sounds like Thom Yorke solo projects to me? But in total not exactly my jam.
An interesting album. Lots of images in his lyrics. I like his voice, and some of his melodies are lovely. This made the stranger tracks seem very strange indeed.
I was kinda mixed on this one, but I appreciate the introduction to an artists I'd never heard of before. His lyrical ability is good, but some of the tracks weren't my thing musically.
Not really my jam, solid listen tho - liked the off-kilter lyrics
As someone who is spiritual and into New Age-style music and folk, I thought I’d be way more into this than I was. But the lyrics made very little sense to me and it was not as profound an experience as I was hoping. Not for me.
This is not for me. It's fine, well done if you're into this sort of thing.
I know it is a fan fave but this one is a bit of a snooze for me.
This dude does not have the voice for this. The 40 minute runtime feels twice as long with these dreary, boring songs.
Folky. Nice. On the right side of sleep inducing.
Acid Folk! I liked the album, felt like it had some root folk influenced but also a lot of spacey almost Grateful Dead vibes.
#38 A quirky lo-fi folk album with a bit of an Eastern influence on its sound. Parts of it are very good, while others are pretty weird. Excellent guitar playing throughout, with other instrumentation used in moderation. Interesting lyrics and a unique voice. As weird as it may be at times, it's an enjoyable listen and I could see myself re-visiting. Personal highlights are "A Sight To Behold" and "Fall".
3.5
Quirky, interesting. Love the guitar playing. Sure it is not for everyone but a big yes for me.
6/10… folk / singer-songwriter / *2004
I didn't love it, I didn't hate it. Nice enough in the background. Not sure it is essential listening.
Music from a "fancy" store my mom would've taken me to as a kid once and then never again. Schmaltzy, bad, stomp clapy, and far too simple. Poughkeepsie and the 11 songs after are especially rough. The only alright song in that stretch is Rejoicing in the Hands and kinda Insect Eyes
Bored. I knew a couple of his tracks from the previous album which got played on radio, but a whole album of this twee, folksy stuff is too much for me.
Bastante calmado y nostálgico
At first I thought I kind of like it. But then I listened to it again and no, I don't. It's not terrible though.
Kurt Vile I’m sure has listened to my man. Very nice very lovely sounds. What mood do you have to be in for this sort of music? Melancholically happy? Calmingly sad? 4.0/5.0 Best Song: Rejoicing In The Hands
I didn't love it but there were definitely some good bits, i like his lyrics but don't love the general sound/ feel of the album that much
One song was OK but the rest is rather useless
I feel like I have heard all of this before, just better. I also don't particularly care for his voice. What is it about this that makes it something everyone should hear before they die? NO IDEA 2 stars.
Pretty solid indie folk. Banhart’s bluesier or more swaggering touches don’t work as well as the gentler moments, but his songwriting talent and vocal range keep it compelling throughout.
Ive been a big Devendra Banhart fan ever since i watched the film Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist and heard the song Lover. So i was really excited for this. Howeverrrrrr , it was AWFUL. So BORING and different to the Devendra im used to. And why was he doing a weird voice throughout?
Fun, quirky
I like Devendra Banhart and I am not sorry.
straight up hooting and hollering
please stop singing like that. pl ease
In fairness to Devendra I don't think this has aged well for me because of how many people did this vocal style terribly in the mainstream like 10 years later. But I mean there's nothing else that I like .
A melancholy album that wasn’t that good of a listening experience.
I came into this one fully expecting to hate it, as it initially sounded a bit wanky indie, disassociated and gently angsty kind of energy... thankfully that wasn't really the case! Overall it's a nice listen. The stand-out is the guitar playing for sure, and he does some interesting stuff there, with some moody and complex melodies. I don't think it's necessarily 'background' music, but it did play well in the background nonetheless.
Nah not good
I liked it. Refreshing. Different. Nice vibe. 3.5
very come into my kichen we have banannys
Again, complete sucker for this style
Listening to paint dry would be more exciting and enjoyable
This isn’t the worst thing I’ve ever heard. But it’s pretty fucking close
Bent įdomesnis nei praeiti šią savaitę
This one is for all the hippie Romeos 😂 Decent stuff though
This was really great! Kind of like sufjan stevens and cat power who were around at this time. I really enjoyed it
I hate everything about this. Down to the album cover. Just awful.
Only slightly annoying. Still, was glad when it was over.
Not saying this is the precise moment the early 00s indie rock boomlet ended and something new took hold, but hoo boy was there suddenly A LOT of very precious music and this guy was their savant. It’s not bad exactly and I don’t find his voice all that irritating today, there’s just not a lot here aside from a kind of twee affectation that scanned as authentic in 2003-06 but now is just impossibly cringeworthy.
Get Jack White stoned'er than stoned. Make him sing his lyrics on shuffle and play the guitar with mitts on. There you go.
5/10
dosadno
Insufferably tepid "indie"… (actually it's very sufferable, which is why one wants to say it's insufferable sufferable—noone will risk a raised heartbeat during this, in essence)
Sister loved it Remember my sister having the CD when it came out. Really liked a couple tracks but never paid much interest beyond that. It’s nice, but my opinion hasn’t changed much Favourite track: a sight to behold
I remember I liked this album a lot... not any more.
Album cover is funky. Folksy vibes. Started off strong and then spiraled into weirdness. (16 songs, 42 mins)
Folk. Para variar puede estar bien.
Interesting guitar work but this is pseudo-intellectual nonsense. Elephant pants gap yah final boss. Pants
I like my folk so was excited to see an album I haven’t listened to before on the list, but left pretty underwhelmed
2.6 if i could
Standard enough singer/songwriter. Some decent stuff in there, but nothing to write home about! Listened to outside the Billiards place at Kremlin Bicetre while waiting for U&S, and debating with CoG about Taylor Swift, who came the day after.
3/5. Muy chill. De fondo va bien
I read the reviews on each album before I listen. This isn't my favorite, not about to become his biggest fan but it was better than I expected from the reviews. It is a little much and would be better as a 10 song album. The voice is a little grating but this doesn't sound much different than Low or Sufjan Stevens to me which are both fine. Didn't blow my mind but it's fine. 3 stars
Cool album. Indie folk, so not a huge fan, but was pretty cool to just put on on the background.
Sleepy music for proto-twees and I’m not all the mad about it.
little bit of sufjan energy, little bit of joanna newsom, nice and light. Loved This Beard is for Siobhan most
I'm surprised by how mad people get about slightly weird folk music. This is a solid album. fav songs: a sight to behold, this beard is for siobhan
Definitely some interesting chord choices, but I just couldn't get into it at all. I'm not a massive fan of Bon Iver and this was like a worse version of that.
Definitely not something I would choose to listen to normally, but I applaud the creativity within the folk genre. I'm very picky with my folk music, I find it can be very generic and same samey, but this was interesting a lot of the time. Not gonna come back to this, but it was at least interesting.
Not a bad album that had some very interesting moments (see "Poughkeepsie"), but overall I wasn't taken by it. I think its the type of album I might really enjoy if I was in a different head-space, which sort of speaks to the subjective gamble each album on this list is. Everyday i get a new piece of art to experience, but it may have an overall esthetic that doesn't agree with the circumstances in my life. I don't know...maybe I would always be unimpressed with this album, but maybe in another life it would be great.
I like this! This is 100% going on my rotation, great contemporary folk, misses the mark for perfection but far surpasses mere competency! 4/5
Nothing wrong with it just not for me
Musically, I quite enjoyed a few of the songs on this album. He plays a pretty mean guitar, but I just don't care for the overall experience.
# Album Name: Rejoicing In The Hands # Artist: Devendra Banhart # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: I wanted to like this. There was a couple of glimpses. But its instantly forgettable. # Top Tunes: Siobhan # Would I listen to it again? No
Liked this more than I expected to, but still a bit twee for my taste. Somewhat of a poor man’s Jeff Buckley vocally with possibly better guitar playing.
stream of consciousness, the album
How the fuck did this album sneak on this list
I don't like folk. This is particularly bad folk.
Some parts of this were very pretty. Another Sunday morning kinda album.
Didn't float my boat
Terrible. Terrible. Terrible.
This might have a time where it would be enjoyable…not sure when that would be…
3/5 New to this artist. Interesting sound. Really enjoyed See Saw & There was the Sun. Other tracks I didn’t find so inspiring, hence my mark.
Not someone I had heard of before, but really was a piece of me. Not going to give higher than 4 stars as there's no song on the album that sticks out to me at all, but I really enjoyed the whole vibe of the album. Actually now that I've finished it I really liked insect eyes and autumn's child. A strong finish and opening for the album as a whole. Still giving a 4.
I wanted to like this much more than I did.
I think I almost liked some things.
I love folk and I love picked guitar. I even still love the (now terminally uncool) folk revival of the 2000s. I should like this album, but there's something kind of unsettling about some of it that I can't quite put my finger on — either the vocal inflections or the weird nonsensical lyrics. I'm not surprised to read one of these songs was used in a horror movie soundtrack. (Insect Eyes, which actually I like.) I some of what I love about folk music is its connection to cultural heritage and the natural world, and its storytelling quality. Some folk music can be unsettling (see the murder ballad traditon), but still I think divorcing this style of music so far from those roots results in something that's not that pleasing to listen to. for me. One point for Vashti Bunyan cameo on the title track.
Never heard of this at all before this. It was nice enough, sure.
Nice folksy stuff, I liked a few of his songs and I probably would have enjoyed this when it came out.
I found this pretty boring. Pleasant enough background music, I guess, but didn't it catch my attention at all.
Another album new to me. Pleasant enough, but nothing particularly grabbed me on first listen.
Quite enjoyed this which was new to me
An album that passed me by on release, even though I think I would have loved it in 2004. Enjoyable album.
I like some of the songs very much, a very solid two stars. Tom.
It was fine
This album isn't bad. It's not annoying. It just kind of exists. The singing really isn't bad. The guitar and piano is fine. Just it never does anything that interesting. It never got me to want to keep listening.
Good though I think I prefer Mala.
Not for me
Maybe has it’s uses for something?
Tralalala
Forgettable album and artist
Phenomenal. Quirky, pointy folk songs.
so chill and easy to listen to
It was good for just being different from a lot of the stuff I've heard recently. I like the chill acoustic vibe, soft lyrics. I liked it. 4/5.
While I greatly enjoyed much of the guitar work on the record, I just could not get into the vocals at all. To me it sounded like someone doing an intentionally bad impression of an indie vocalist, weird inflections and all. I realize this type of singing wasn't has cliche at the time, but unfortunately it just kept me from getting into the record. Also, while there were some decent lyrics on here, I really wasn't impressed with them overall. 2.5 -> 2/5.
I felt nothing
I've heard of the artist, not quite sure if I know what kind of music they play, but I think I have an idea. A little folk. Not for me but I respect it
Based on the description of this as "psychedelic folk" I was a bit worried about how this would go. I liked it! Over the course of a full album it gets a bit same-y, and it is a touch too spooky for me. Still a good time, though.
Made me scream in pain.
Reminded me of Bob Dylan, with very poetic lyrical content, and emotional presentation that matched. Definitely a plus for fans of singer/songwriters and/or Americana music.
I tried a couple of times, but no. There's nothing here that grabs me and I find his voice fairly annoying. He's like the dime store version of Vic Chesnutt, who has a weird voice but such a great songwriter with a sense of humor too! Sorry, Dev. I just don't getcha! It's about a 2. Ya get a plus one for decent guitar bits.
joa. auch nicht wirklich meins leider, aber kann man sich auf jeden fall anhören. 2.44 sterne.
Soft, chill and a mix of songs in English and Spanish, great feel all around and surprisingly good.
I get why the quirkiness can put people off. However, I find it very enjoyable and fun, at times very pretty, calming, mysterious, peaceful, weird, interesting. With a nice cameo from Vashti Bunyan. Reminds me of sunny summer days sitting in the grass. Love this album.
Rejoining the Hands demonstrates that it is possible for an album that is about as old-timey as possible can simultaneously sound fresh and interesting. This music is classic America, with a twist. Banhart’s voice trembles and quavers creating sounds that evoke emotional responses. The lyrics to the songs are poignant, albeit sometimes bizarre, somewhat reminiscent of Neutral Milk Hotel in content. Most of the instrumentals feature finger pickin’ acoustic guitar, with occasional sparce accompaniment by back-up vocals, stings or piano. Where accompaniment does occur, it is subtle but important because adds just texture to keep the songs from sounding too similar. After my first couple of listens, I learned that the album was produced and recorded by Michael Gira, the singer and founding member of the Swans. This helps explain the amorphous, somewhat avant-garde sound. Part of what I’ve gained from this project is a deeper appreciation of music history and it is interesting to hear a freaky modern spin on folk music. One of my favorite discoveries from this project to date.
Mid folk. Basic acoustic guitar and basic singing.
I like indie folk, but this goes too far.
Kind of a "weird folk" album. The first three tracks are strong, as is "The Beard is for Siobhan", and "Rejoicing in the Hands", "Fall". In between, the album is more meandering and some tracks are slightly annoying (e.g. Poughkeepsie). Altogether it's still a high 3, not quite ready to call it a 4.
There is an immediacy and intimacy to this recording that is appealing, but for every song that caught my attention, there is one that is half baked feeling.
I knew the name but somehow didn't dig into his discography when I should have been a total sucker for this type of thing. I do like it even now - reminds me of Sufjan at his best...but also sometimes at his twee, breathiest worst, too. Appreciated when he mixed things up with creaky, experimental sounds that gave me vague shades of Tom Waits. All in all, a nice find I can imagine going back to - and finally digging into his discography.
I was bored out of my mind. I wish I unheard this shit. I hate folk rock acoustic whatever as it is, and this only cemented my feelings about the genre. Why is this on here, I wish I rather died and not listened instead of listening before I died.
I liked this. Not a week where I have much to say, as I catch up ..
Shocked how intrigued I was with this album having never heard of him. Uber creative and mesmerizing guitar work. Quite impressive. Pretty raw production quality but it works.
Wow- I loved this one. It's like looking into a clear pond and catching your own reflection. But this time, it reflects back what's below the surface. Something that's been hidden until now. A bit of wisdom with a slight swagger.
Striking. Simple. Strange. Subdued. Stereo. Sharp. Sudden. Subdued. Sensual. Serene. Spectral. Silver. Savage. Scattered. Sketchy. Stark. Suspicious. Sonambulistic. Stochastic. Sanguine. Salubrious. Seraphic. These are all attempts to avoid falling back on using the most apt - if overused - "s" adjective...S*BL!ME.
PRODUCED BY MICHAEL GIRA?????
White guy wanting to be a Rastafarian type music of the 2000s
AWFUL
Overly pretentious indie albums like this usually suck...so we'll find out if this is the exception. Unfortunately, it is not. It is very stripped-back indie folk with bad vocals and bad lyrics. Some of the songs have good hooks, but they're too short and don't really do much to the listener. Nothing on this album does much to the listener, honestly. I can hardly see why an album of 2-minute folk songs with annoying vocals and-more damningly- simplistic lyrics that mean nothing is considered essential listening. Lump this album in with all the other shitty hipster music and have a decent day.
Definitely sounds like 60's folk, but with a modern touch to it. It's a great album and the acoustic guitar is incredible. It's not my favorite folk album, but it's definitely worth your time. I'm glad people are keeping the folk genre alive.
Not something i wouldclisten to again.
1001 albums to hear before you die 88# like the sound of this. already knew Devendra but for other albums. This is a real good sleep album to put you in a good dream.
folky troubador, with the feeling that these songs are captured in the moment, in flight there's an element of Larry The Lamb in the stylised vocals which became rather grating by track 5 - very reminiscent of Marc Bolan when his people were fair and wore flowers in their hair
One of those albums which makes me wonder if it was deliberately created in order to be irritating. I found myself reaching for the skip button time and again, before I remembered each time that I have promised myself that I will listen to the whole of every album. Which means I can write that Poughkeepsie is extremely annoying. Will Is My Friend sounds like a character from South Park singing. Even reading the track title Tit Smoking In The Temple Of Artesan Mimicry aggravates me. All the instrumentation is strummed guitars, trying for twee folk and nailing it. The best the overview for this album can give are the facts of its release and a handful of uses of the songs in film and TV. This is definitely one for the "What the hell were the editors thinking?" pile.
I can smell the patchouli on this one. This kind of coffee shop salt-of-the-earth folk singer-songwriter fare is right up my alley. Sometimes the inflection in his voice was a bit much, but I can forgive it for the organic, warm compositions and soft melodies. Glad to have heard this one.
Some cool stuff here. I didn’t love his voice but it grew on me a bit. It would either go higher or lower with more listens I think!
Managed to settle into this a little bit in the back half. Liked the low key acoustic even if his voice is just ok
I can't believe those top reviews. Anything different = me no like. I'm not a Banhart fanatic, but this album was so cool and eye-opening when it came out. The lo-fi sound, the mysterious, crooning vocals, the unusual tunings and guitar playing, and the production choices... How can you not be lured in? Still a really cool album, though it has its generic moments. I love that it was produced by Michael Gira from Swans. Give yourselves a chance to listen to something beyond your comfort zone from time to time. 4 stars.
I really like the guitar and vocals. It feels raw and it's very relaxing. Stronger starting and ending tracks, I kinda lost it in the middle. Favorite track(s) A Sight to Behold Insect Eyes Autumn´s Child
album acustico nella media ma mi è piaciuto, nonostante alcune canzoni siano abbastanza ripetitive, comunque sonorità ok
Felt like I was in a Wes Anderson movie
This was delightful
Nice calming album
clearly well made and talented, i just think it's twee (negative) and boring.
On paper this should be something I'd enjoy. In reality the entire album sounds like someone turned Nick Drake into a mischievous twee ghost. I didn't care for this one at all and I'm not sure why it's part of the project.
How does this end up on the list. I feel like I have high tolerance for this folksy American brand of singer songwriter acoustic guitar sound, but this feels like a parody of anything good about that. Gets more insufferable as it goes and I did not finish. Yeesh. RYM: N Saved a song: N
Excellente expérience ! À approfondir avec un casque et les paroles
⭐⭐ Singer songwriter. Albumet börjar bra men drar sedan iväg åt ett håll som inte funkar för mig, det jag tycker är viktigt i denna genre är att det berör men tankarna jag får är snarare att det är sökt konstigt. Albumet har ok delar men det är inte ett album jag kommer lyssna på igen så det blir en 2a. Bäst är This is the way, A sight to behold
The compliers of this list have seemed to predicted this guy would get a decent following based on Spotify. But it is still meandering self important nonsense for the most part, should have stayed at a tedious open mic night 2*
I thought I might like it for a bit and that it might be a bit Sufjan Stevens, but it was mainly just weird and creepy and not enjoyable.
I like freak folk
Kevin Morby på Valium.
Råkade se att detta album låg näst sist i vår group rating så jag förväntade mig nåt förfärligt, men ack överraskade jag blev. Det här är ju bra ju! Snyggt gitarrspel, fina kompositioner och jag gillar ändå hans underliga röst. Stark trea eller svag fyra? Fattar inte helt vad det gör på denna lista, så det får väl bli en trea.
Störig
Lite för medvetet.
åh nej jag orkar inte med den där indierösten
Varför sjunga som en liten mardrömsfé
really holds up
Super chilled out modern folk. It's pretty good, sort of reminds me of Noah Kahn in some ways. Not a ton of variety on the album but that is not necessarily a bad thing as what is there sounds great. This might be an album that I put on at work or during an especially relaxing time at home.
3/5
It's okay and has some good moments. No legend tho and imo also no significant impact on music history
Meh. 2 stars. Not my kind of music for a workout - should’ve listened to it on a roadtrip after a break-up.
Bit of a vibe at the beginning. His voice has a lot of character but that token tremelo sometimes gets on my nerves. Guitar remind me of the dodos. Similar time frame so maybe that was a part of the scene at the time. Not a super long album but does feel like it drags on.
Oh wow. Now I feel very bad for the other albums that received only 1 star. They need to share the same score like this album. For this one I'd like to add minus points... It sounds like listening to "that random guy" at a party who grabs a guitar and starts playing. A lot of chords and rhythmic melodies, repeated endlessly for the artist can still focus on singing. Neither the vocals nor the guitar seem unique or interesting to me.
Random Folk singer/songwriter stuff.
I came in expecting "freak folk" to be some kind of unhinged banjo punk. Instead: a man whispering over a ukulele for 45 minutes. I have learned what freak folk actually means, and I have feelings about this. Devendra Banhart is undeniably doing something intentional here — it's just that the intention seems to be making me question my life choices one mumbled verse at a time. 2/5 — atmospheric, inoffensive, and somehow exhausting.
It goes on for too long, it's quite weird and freaky, and I don't love his voice. That said, it did somehow develop kind of a hypnotizing spell. And so I found myself listening to it again and again over the day, and my liking for it grew step by step. Definitely a grower. "Will Is My Friend", "Fall", "This Beard Is For Siobhan" were highlights. 3/5, and might grow on me further.
I can’t hear another album of a guy mumbling over acoustic guitar. I just can’t do it.
Bleurgghhhh I really hate this!!! Worst album Ive listened to so far on this journey. Hate the voice, acoustic vibes highlight the arrogance, this music gives yoga wanker to me bleeeuuurghhhj does absolutely zilch for me emotionally!!
No me gustó. Entiendo que Banhart tiene conocimiento exhaustivo de los géneros que conforman su música, pero a mí no me transmitió nada, de hecho el disco me aburrió y desesperó un tanto. No creo que sea mal músico, solo que no es para mí.
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would
1.5
Freaky folkie.
Started it fine and then got annoying as it went on
I found it affecting at that time of my life, but although there are highlights much of this is too samey for me.
Very of its time. Nothing stood out but fine to listen to. Good guitar and voice but a little one note. High 3.
Strange singer-songwriter music by a guy I've never heard of. Not quite folk, but similar style. Not a great voice, but still not too bad. Can't say I disliked it but don't need to hear this again,
The song dedicated to Poughkeepsie is obviously the highlight for me. The rest of it was fine
Fattar ej grejen
We have Tom Waits at home?
Medium.
This Is the Way - 2/5 It's a Sight to Behold - 4/5 The Body Breaks - 3/5 Poughkeepsie - 2/5 Dogs They Make Up the Dark - 2/5 Will Is My Friend - 1/5 This Beard Is for Siobhán - 1/5 See Saw - 1/5 Tit Smoking in the Temple of Artesan Mimicry - 3/5 Rejoicing in the Hands - 3/5 Fall - 4/5 Todo los dolores - 2/5 When the Sun Shone on Vetiver - 2/5 There Was Sun - 2/5 Insect Eyes - 3/5 Autumn's Child - 1/5 Average score: 2.3/5 ⭐️⭐️ sounds like if the lead singer from alt-J decided to make folk music instead of indie-pop i've certainly heard worse albums and most of the tracks are (thankfully) short, but i started to feel really annoyed and agitated with the singer's voice between track 4 and 8. some tracks are tolerable enough, but others nearly made me give up finishing all together
I yearn to get back the minutes I spent listening to this shit.
Cute
I have to admit he set the bar pretty low when he started it off with "This is the soup that I believe in"
Un descubrimiento muy interesante, tranquilo domingo por la tarde vibes
Nope
Lot of folky style short tracks. Not a big fan, but not terrible.
This is fine. Some interesting parts, easy enough to listen to, but also nothing special. It made me look up other folk albums on the list and the inclusion of this over a whole bunch of others is baffling.
Trop lent, trop contemplatif...
Kind of liked this one.
i haven’t heard of this. exciting. i’m loving this, i needed this this morning. definitely my thing. it’s incredibly lowkey. his voice is slightly annoying, and i’m not sure if it ruins it for me. tit smoking in the temple of artisan mimicry is fun. i like this but it’s gonna take a few more listens to really get into i think. can’t tell if it’s a mile wide and a foot deep, or if there’s actually meat to chew into here. oh shit this was on young god? i do like this. i’ve just heard this done before, way better in a lot of cases. maybe not. i like when the sun shone on vetiver a lot. this might be where alt-j got their whole career.
Only liked a couple of songs here. Which is a shame on a 45 minute long album. I did like the singing and acoustic guitar but it got old quick. This is the way and This Beard is for Siobhan were the highlights
voz insuportável
Stumped what to do with this one. Lyrics are simple, and the guitar playing is also. Not for me ..not in that kind of mood.
Noped on out of this one after skipping through the first three or four boring songs. Meh.