Rejoicing In The Hands

Cool record - had never heard of this artist before. Has a minimalist folk vibe, basically just vocals and a guitar, sounding like it was recorded in a very low-budget environment. The singer has a somber touch, but nice voice that lays over soft guitar melodies. This was an interesting one that I liked!

This was different…

Yesterday: "I just need folk" Today: "not like that I guess" I actually don't dislike it like I thought I did at first. I've never heard of Devendra Banhart and it sounds very weird! Spooky folk. Not really my jam (though I bet I would have loved it in ~2013 or whenever my Daytrotter days were)

Dosta naporno za slušati i iskreno, ne kužim baš point, neka čudna kombinacija neke "from and for the people" glazbe i mainstream izdrkavanja. 2/5, 3/10

I was not privy to Devandra’s music prior to this. I have to say it is quite soulful. It’s been a few days since we had a good singer-songwriter album. It reminds me a lot of Dylan or Carly Simon, with a little bit of Robert Johnson-moral conflict mixed it, especially the song See Saw, which could have been straight outta’ the Delta. Tit Smoking in the Temple reminded me of Zeppelin IV-style guitar work, which is never a bad thing. I would have to say that key songs for me was Rejoicing in the Hands, which had some beautiful and simple harmonies, and the Body Breaks, which unfortunately has become more relevant personally than ever. Fall was good too. This will have a return visit.

Random thoughts: * I'm somehow familiar with Devendra Banhart. Know I've listened to some before and had a good feeling about getting recommended to listen to more. * Man, was I disappointed. Why this album? I'll need to read the wiki to find out. * I guess this is an album about autumn or something, so it must be about a lost love or breaking up because it was pretty downer. * There were a few redeemable songs on this album but nothing I'm dying to go back and listen to. * I did enjoy some of the other songs of his and Mala seems like an album to check out especially the song "Never Seen Such Good Things" * Skip this album and go listen to the more popular offerings.

Smooth and soothing. Not my kind of smooth and soothing but still a good listen.

Very enjoyable Americana that I am sure will reward return visits. Also, I did not know they were a man!

No midieron termino de gustar, pero tampoco es feo. Creo q depende mucho del momento/contexto en q lo escuchas.

Quite listenable, but forgettable. Vocals are only okay, and for me that just doesn’t cut the mustard. Pleasant enough, not something I’ll return to. 2 and a half stars

Não me encantou

mg

Soso good, I really enjoyed this one!

medio aburrido...

liked the vocals and instrumentals, unintrusive and sometimes serene, def an "add"

I feel like this is worse department of eagles

That was alright. Came in expecting the worst, was positively surprised.

For an easy listening, background music album this was pretty good. In comparison to every other album ever released and other albums on this list, it was just okay. Inoffensive stuff that I could imagine playing over the speakers of a chain coffee shop. If I could give it a 2.5 I would but for now a 3 feels about right.

Decent enough folk music that gets a bit redundant by the end. Favorite track: This Beard is for Siobhan

Never heard of this artist. On artwork alone I would not have picked this up. But the first track sounds great. I’m on track seven and this whole album feels like an old timey ragtime album. I’m enjoying this.

Oh man, I'll pass. Another singer songwriter album, minimal instrumentation and it's really "twee." Another filler album for sure. Skip this one kids, it's dull.

At the beginning of this album, I thought I was not going to like it. As the album went on it started to grow on me. I probably won't revisit often -- but if I need a laid back but quirky album with some good harmonics and vibes to it I can put this on. Some song gave me a distinct Pokey Lafarge vibe -- and I really like that vibe at specific points in time. This would definitely be Sunday morning with the parents and grand parents approved.

De la folk un peu bizarre, pas désagréable.

Oef, ik geef niet snel 1 ster maar deze verdient het. Wat een akelige stem!

VRESELIJK. halverwege afgezet. Gitaarwerk wel mooi daarvoor 1 ster

The album is fine, but nothing here makes me think this should be on this list.

Annoying

Ha, moje edino znanje o Devendri je, da je na neki točki dejtal Natalie Portman. Let's go! Prvi komad, "This Is the Way" ni kar sm pričakovala. Se mi zdi, da sm vidla besedo 'psychedelic' na wiki in pričakovala Kikagaku Moyo stil alpa kj. Je pa samo on in akustična kitara (a, piše 'psychedelic folk'). Zelo všečno. "Will Is My Friend" in "This Beard Is for Siobhán" sta mi oba huda. Pa "Fall". Ne vem še, a bom še poslušala ta album al ne. Mogoče. Je right down my alley. Hmmmm.

Very raw which can be good if that's what you're in to. I didn't care for his vocals. Wasn't bad, but I won't be coming back to anything off this.

While Devendra’s voice is an acquired taste, the music is so beautiful that that distraction quickly fell away for me. I like the Eastern influences, his guitar work, the lyrics, harmonies with the female singer on one great track (neglected to check name.) happily played it twice.

soundtrack to a quirky indie movie, mainstream, spanish or whatever song is cool

First track is a neo-folky ballad thing. Hmm. A hint of asian/indian influence? And so it continues. It's not bad.. nice guitar playing and singing. But not world-changing. And never upbeat.. You do get into it as the album progresses. It's a calming listen. Almost hypnotic Best track - The Body Breaks, Tit Smoking.., Rejoicing in the Hands, When the Sun Shone on Vetiver 3 or 4 stars? Wasn't impressed at first but by the end I wanted to listen again! Call it 4!

Some ok parts, but didnt really enjoy it overall Standout songs: The Body Breaks Tit smoking in the temple of artesan mimicry

En new age sekt som fått tag i en portabandspelare tycker det är en bra idé att göra en folkindieplatta. Det är det inte! Jag undanber mig vänligt men bestämt

Man som plinkar på gitarr och försöker sjunga lite egensinnigt. En eller ett par låtar kanske funkar, men 16 spår, varav de flesta låter ungefär likadant, blir för mycket. I Will is my friend läggs det på ett piano och genast låter det lite intressantare. Men i övrigt alldeles för underproducerat.

Ska man göra en skiva som i stort sett enbart består av sång och plinkande på en akustisk gitarr ställs två kvalitetskrav. Låtarna måste i grunden var riktigt bra och det krävs en bra röst av sångaren. Devandra är inte i närheten av att ha något av detta. 40 minuter (för en andra lyssning tänker jag fan i mig inte utsätta mig för) av mitt liv jag aldrig får tillbaka.

Tre första låtarna går an, men sen tappar jag intresset. Det blir för enformigt och med Devendras vibrato och gitarrplonkande. Det är bara Will is my friend som sticker ut i positiv bemärkelse. Med benhård gallring hade det kunnat bli en fin ep, men något vidare album är det inte.

Quite boring actually

Monthly listeners are too high for this one

This and that

Beautiful guitars

Completely average but, since this is the 1001 albums, I think that warrants a two.

Found this really not that great, the guitar that was supposed to be the highlight of the album felt uninteresting and a lot of the vocal performances bordered on being funny rather than being soulful and heartfelt. Quite a disappointment

Was nice, lovely all around Maybe my mood but not a ton jumped out at me.

Decent enough, high 2s.

Everyone he's drawing from did it better

Some cool stuff in here. Reminds me a little of AJJ at times. This very much sounds like a 2004 album. I like the creepy and weird songs a lot, the ones that remind me of the Decemberists less. Autumns Child is such a boring and flat way to end this album.

я не знаю что тут оценивать лирику я не хочу оценивать кроме акустической гитары и не самого приятного вокала тут ничего нет 2 потому что это не самое худшее

Well I didn’t skip any songs, I guess it’s ok.

Mid

Pretty engaging. This is indeed an old folk song you know and can sing along with. Quirky, inventive, Slow, then slower. Best in small doses.

This was a new one on me and perfectly lovely. I was quite taken with it and it definitely deserves another listen. Cute!

Jack White-ish.

Gotta admit, I was pretty sure this was going to be a miss as the album opened but it didn't take long for me to get swept into the odd vocal delivery and hypnotic keys and orchestrations. A 4-star may be stretching things a little, but kudos for delivering something I wasn't expecting to dig.

Yeah I like this guy though i've never listened to a whole album before. One part Marc Bolan, one part Nick Drake, plus a little Tex-Mex spiciness, and a whole bunch of weirdness. Cool stuff, though I can see why so many people are turned off by him.

Found this a bit boring. Not bad but not wow’d

This was a new artist to me. I really loved this album and will definitely be listening to it again and sharing it with friends who like alt and indie music.

Entdeckung für mich! Mochte ich, weil schön schräg.

Thank god this wasn’t super long because it was a slog. Very much the 2000s white guy with guitar but in the worst way. “Insect Eyes” was an okay song, but the rest was dreadfully dull. No idea how this ended up on here. Even for “freak folk” (a name the entire genre apparently detests) there is better.

I don't know

probably quite good but I found it quite boring 2.8/5

Guitar work is fine. Occasionally it's pretty impressive. Production is a little overwhelming at times. Dude's voice is kinda not for me. "See Saw" is actively bad. Most of the rest is somewhat more tolerable. "Fall" is probably the closest it comes to something I'd enjoy.

Now this is why I wanna compete in this challenge: to discover new good music! The guitarplaying on this album is so lovely for the ears!

i like it!!

OK very artsy but not too bad , not my cake though ,

This album does a lot of the same thing for too long. It's good for a couple songs, but not for an album's worth. I do generally enjoy the vibe it has, and the musicianship is great. The mix is clean. It's just much too one note. 2.7/5

Peaceful opener, cinematic gut punch, then Poughkeepsie. The voice keeps fooling you but it works. Uneven and knows it. I’ll probably forget to revisit it.

Fine

4/10

Thurston Moore and Michael Gira gave Devendra Banhart his start in big-time music. With such "godfathers," you'd expect everything here to sound, shall we say, noisy. In reality, this is a beautiful acoustic album. Short guitar sketches are close to both psychedelic America and the folksy England of the 1960s, and surprisingly, just as far removed. There's also a certain southern sound — Banhart lived in Venezuela until he was fourteen. And overall, he's something of a citizen of the world: not only did his parents name him on the advice of an Indian guru, but he also has the middle name Obi. Yes, after Obi-Wan Kenobi. With a biography like that, you can't write "flat" music. Critics have compared Devendra to early Marc Bolan. I agree with them on some aspects of the guitar sound, but his vocal style is very much an acquired taste — it sounds a bit like alt-J. Keep that in mind; you'll either love it or your ears will wilt.

Mostly boring. Sometimes annoying.

Meh

This was interesting, i enjoyed it.

I really liked this at the start but his voice did start to grate on me a wee bit by the end. Nothing terrible, nothing brilliant. Very much a middle of the road 3 star album.

Have I listened to this album before? No How familiar am I with this album? I have never seen this before How do I feel about this artist? I have clue who this is Favorite song(s)? A Sight To Behold Overall Thoughts: The music was pretty but I found his voice kind of annoying and not in a way that I can tolerate like Bob Dylan

More enjoyable than expected 👍

I’m not quite sure what time of day would be appropriate to listen to this record. As it is most definitely a folk record, I thought early morning might work. Nope. Not so much. The songs are short, except Insect Eyes at more than 5:00, the lyrics are for the most part positive hippy dippy shit that are somewhat clever. The guitar tone is terrific and the actual recording quality is excellent. The problem is Devandra’s vocals which are a bit whiny. We’re not talking Dylan level annoying, but annoying enough to distract. I’m sure for fans this is pleasing but for me, I quickly lost interest. Did I say the songs were short. That is the best I can say about this somewhat banal record. Unfortunate. 2/5

Too slow, cringy voice that doesn't work in this pace

Very good guitar work. But can't get over my dislike of whiny American males that sound on the verge of crying. Apart from Conor Oberst.

Depressing, delightful and demure. Just the way I like it. A name I had heard of, but never heard. Here you go Dev, 4 stars.

millenial music

-for a style of music associated with words like "weird" and "freak," this is pretty safe music. It's more "quirky" than anything; this is an album for a Zooey Deschanel character. Or, as a friend said to me, "this is Jason Mraz for people who go on ayahuasca retreats." -the instrumental track is my favorite by far, and my second favorite is the one where you can hear Vashti Bunyan -- I guess that says everything you need to know about what I think of DB's voice. Dude is practically a pioneer of "cursive singing."

Meh.

Another meh interesting album.

Not for me. 1/5

Listen to this in the Fall. This Is the Way.

Whimsical ethereal modern folk. I quite liked it but can see how others might hate it. 3 out of 5 stars for me

I want to like this. I love the guitar stuff... but DB's vocal style was sometimes just barely tolerable.

Interesting album. I usually hate Bush era music on this list, but this was fun. I don't really feel like he's reinventing the genre or anything, but this is a nice modern folk album.

I was listening to this album on my earbuds and it was unbearable. I switched to my nice headphones to see if there was some depth or richness of sound that was lost. Somehow that made it worse.

Tit Smoking in the Temple of Artesan Mimicry? I hardly know her!

I remember renting this cd from the library when I was in high school. I rented a lot of cds from the library when I was in high school. My parents wouldn’t let me do anything with friends on school nights, but I could go to the library. So I would rent 20 cds at a time (and some books) and take them home and discover new music. This was the early days of the internet so it wasn’t as good for finding new music as it is now. Anyways I liked this one enough to rip it to iTunes and This Beard is for Siobhan has been in the rotation ever since then. Listening to it again, I think it holds up, I believe at the time they were calling this Freak Folk. It doesn’t sound all that freaky to me any more but iirc it was definitely unique at the time.

Solid c-

Another one that I struggle to understand why it's on this list. Is it horrendous? No. Is it amazing? No. Is it remarkable in any way? Not really.

Alright but not for me

So i actually really like the sound of this, but lyrically it's just fine. Nothing stood out to me or anything, but still good overall

A very strange singer songwriter experience. I’m not mad at it.

more folk :/ this album was so boring, his voice is so irrating i liked the guitar but it feels like im being serranaded by a 16 year old boy

Quiet and introspective and good! I'll likely listen again.

Dreadful folk junk not deserving of its place

Odd cryptic voice… I’m going to have to listen to this again. The genre is called “freak folk” or psychedelic folk. But like the title of the book says, you really have to hear this one. Surreal hipster art folk, cool to see some people getting creative in here.

I got this one. Judging from the other reviews, it doesn't seem like many people liked it. Maybe they just didn't "get it"?

Couldn't finish it, gave up at This Beard is for Siobhan

Album 1058 of 1089 Rejoicing In The Hands- Devendra Banhart (2004) Rating : 2.5 / 5 Very laid back. Very low key. It settles into a calm, intimate groove and never really strays from it. Nothing jumped out at me, and I’m not sure I’ll remember much of it in a few days but while it was playing, it was perfectly fine. Not every album has to shake the walls. This one just quietly occupied the space and moved on.

Really pleasant sound. The title track in particular stood out to me, overall enjoyed the album but not quite enough to be a 5

There are glimpses of something lovely here in the guitar work, however his voice overpowers everything and it is pretty unbearable and that’s all I ended up taking away from this. He has fabulous hair though so congrats for that I guess

Spännande artist. Bottnade aldrig i texterna. Men ett eget uttryck.

Meh

nice chill album, couple of very good songs

Dreamy.

Enjoyable parts but groans on and nothing that makes it stand out as exception for its genre not sure why it is here.

interesting

5/10

A whimsical and earnestly human work from freak folk pioneer Devendra Banhart. Capturing bluesy inflections and simple tunes, replete with organic details like background noise and re-takes, this album feels like a pleasant spring walk (which I could definitely use after this winter is over).

I somehow made it 9 songs in before tapping out. I could not imagine listening to an entire album’s worth of this. There is good folk music on this album list but this is not it.

An acoustic assault on the senses. Look, I've only recently managed to get into Bob Dylan, a folk album like this is way too heavy on weird fuckery for me to handle right now! Standouts: The Body Breaks • Todo Los Dolores

Did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did since White Ladder let me down a little yesterday. However, there is a mildly sinister dimension to this album that I love. It's so intimate. It has the unsettling quality of someone performing almost on top of you in the same room and there is something almost lurking underneath. The production is crisp and the instrumentation is so fun.

Not bad. 4 might be a little high, but I could see my self listening to this again if I'm in a very specific mood. EDIT: Upon reflection, 4 IS too high.

On an average day, this would probably merit a 2. Freak folk just ain't my jam. But on this auspicious day, after I have suffered through the insufferably Casio-drenched melodic shittery of the PSB, our man Devendra comes as a breath of fresh air. His voice bugs the shit out of me, but the guitar sounds good, I like the bongos or whatever, and the lyrics are passable. I listened all the way through. So, 3 stars it is!

I've tried this guy before with similar results. I like moments and a few songs, but not enough to put up with the bullshit. I legitimately liked the first song and wondered if this album was going to be the moment I got him. Poughkeepsie definitely set me straight - that is an annoying and lazy song. It lets you know you are going to get a lot weirdness for no purpose. I also don't like that whenever he hits up bluegrass or legacy styles, etc. it's always delivered with a sneer.

Started off good, but I didn't make it to the end.

1/5 - I won't judge the album by its cover, but I'll judge it for having a song titled "Tit Smoking in the Temple of Artesan Mimicry." This guy sucks.

It's not bad but it isn't fantastic either. It gets a bit boring after a while.

Probably never gonna listen to this again.

I wasn't a fan of this. A few of the songs have some really cool instrumentals which kept this from getting a 1

Um disco bonito, que traz interpretações peculiares para um estilo um tanto quanto esgotado.

что за хуйня???

Pleasant and weird, reminded me a bit of Sufjan Stevens (complimentary).

Old person radio music

Interesting acoustic/vocal album. Nice optimistic poetic lyrics. Not particularly groovy, but it is artistic music

I’d rather listen to this than the several Metallica albums I’ve needed to listen to so far, but it’s not wining that race by much. It’s all too similar to like too much. After a while my mind felt like it was being dragged into the soundtrack of an indie movie from the 2000s whether I liked it or not.

This album is often considered essential for the revival of freak folk and psychedelic folk in the early to mid-2000s. It picks up where the 60s movement left off, embracing surrealist lyrics and themes of spirituality and mysticism. While I recognize its influence, I thought it was decent but not outstanding. Devendra Banhart’s voice doesn’t do much for me, and there are other albums from this style and era that I’d recommend over this one.

I thought I was going to like this, but I just didn’t care for the guys voice. It ends up at two stars for me.

Nice indie plumking

When I was a teenager, everyone loved this album; was never my vibe. I never understood it. There are so many better albums from similar artists of the era. And I really don't understand why this album was picked over any of those in its genre.

Snooze fest. Sounds like 42 minutes of the same song. No variation in tone

Not for me.

not my cup of tea

Very simple, minimalist and artsy folk rock that's almost entirely vocals and an acoustic guitar. It falls in the grey area between relaxing and boring. The twee accent he puts on for his singing voice is a bit off-putting, but overall it isn't a bad choice of background music while doing something else.

Early Devendra is good Devendra but I don't think he really mastered his sound until later albums

It hardly sold any copies and musically is boring as hell. Why in the world must I listen to this? I was going to give it two stars when I thought it was from the 1960s, and then I looked and saw this album was made in 2004! By then this artist should have known better. This is some pretentious hipster tedium.

Imagine the record this would have been if it carried on as it starts…Some gorgeous playing, some beautifully tunes but also a lot of half-finished ideas that feel like demos and outtakes. Not entirely against that as a rule but it still makes you think it could have been so much better.

At first I was like, “Yes! Psych folk rock? Sign me up!” But then I turned it off halfway through and moved on. It was boring and I got the point. Sometimes I felt patronized, like he was being artsy and soft spoken for no reason. There’s plenty other better folk out there, both contemporary and classic.

I get why people would like it, but not my thing.

Meglepően jó volt, főleg ahhoz képest, hogy nem is ismertem.

idk i like the weird ass vocal performance. would be a whole lot less interesting without it. very strange but still endearing despite it

I came into this record completely blind, having never heard of the artist. I found a soft, pared back album. Mainly one poet and his guitar, with the occasional music backing, or burst of laughing by the musician(s). It was an interesting record, the kind that would fit best softly playing at night while you are sitting on a dock in summer. I enjoyed!

Pitchfork gave this 8.4, I give it 2/10. Pitchfork and I don't get along. Boring, pretentious nonsense for hipsters. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ in part Revisit ❌️ Dull ★☆☆☆☆ (2/10) Total reviewed : 217 Already owned : 49 Purchased : 10 To buy list : 4 Nope : 154

This was my album the day my dad died. I don’t think I actively listened to music for about a week after that. I’m not sure what I’m trying to say with this, but maybe some things in our life make us process music differently. I appreciated the uniqueness of this album and was actually quite pleasantly surprised after reading the reviews.

yksinkertaisen kuuloista kitara ja mies, tyylistä pimpottelua.

I got this when it came out because I was really into this folk scene at the time. Stuff like Sufjan Stevens, Jose Gonzalez, Iron & Wine, that sort of thing. This one really didn't stick with me at the time, but it was an enjoyable relisten. I don't think it's in any way required listening though. From my memory, it was just one of a number of albums from this wave. It didn't really stand out among those previously mentioned artists.

Meh, never clicked for me

In 2004, I was a part of a scene full of music people. I generally liked their tastes, and I went to their own performances with great frequency. Since they were all so plugged into the current music, they would bring things to me from out of the most esoteric corners of the internet. I learned about a lot of artists in that time period who I still listen to. Others, I’ve forgotten and I’ll never seek out again, but if I heard their song playing in the background, it might spark a distant memory. These musicy people all came at me hard with Devendra Banhart and this album in particular. It was first time I put my foot down and said, ‘guys, this is bad music.’ Still, the crew was so drawn in, that the singers began to warble with every freaking note in their own songs. It was not a good time. Once the fad was over, I never heard about or thought about Banhart again, until now. Revisiting Rejoicing in the Hands is weird because I knew every song inside and out. I’d never once put it on for myself, but my friends had played it so much, it’d leeched into my subconscious. Back then, the DB fans treated this album like religious doctrine, and they held an air about themselves, that they were supremely cool for being able to appreciate this, whereas all naysayers lost a little artsy fartsy cred. Today, like then, I can’t see how this was ever considered cool. I don’t, however, hate it as much as I did then. Perhaps I’ve moved on? I don’t know. I can see it more objectively? I know I’m only going to hear it once, and not a million more times after? I know that the scene has long-ended, and every album that makes waves isn’t the genre-defining masterpiece of my era. From this vantage, I know this album fades into the sands of time without changing much after it? Either way, DB still wobbles his voice too much to enjoy for too long. It makes one want to throw something out a window.

I’d never heard of Banhart but quite enjoyed this. It sounds much like T-Rex and (perhaps for that reason) is perfectly listenable. I’m rounding up to a 4 as a counter-balance to the unfair 1s.

Complex structure of the album and I'm guessing that the style of playing means something to people who understand instruments. Wasn't grabbed by it, I found the style slightly annoying and trying to be more

Not really my thing. Just a little bit too weird, slow, and I'm not exactly obsessed with this guys voice or vocals. The song names also come off as a little pretentious and annoying which don't exactly help his case. The first time through I absolutely despised listening to this, but as with most other albums I initially despised, this album grew on me. Not a lot, but enough to save it easily from a 1 to at least a very high 2. “A Sight to Behold”, “Fall” and “Insect Eyes” are my favorite 3 songs on the album, and having 3 that I genuinely enjoyed are good indications of at the bare minimum a 2 star album. 1 stars are saved for albums where I just straight up did not enjoy a single song or aspect of. At least this one has those 3 songs, "Fall" being my favorite of the bunch. I still don't love his voice, but the western tempo and melody of that song do go kind of hard. I did that song enough to say that it's pretty good. Not great, but good enough. Other songs, however, and this is a prominent reason the album isn't going to get a 3, come off as so artsy and pretentious that it legitimately aggravates me into just immediately skipping them when they start. I'm sorry, and this might be going too far, but any artist that uses the gimmick of messing up and restarting a song, and then leaves the outtake of starting the song over from the top in the final product is just annoying as shit, looking at you "Todo los Dolores". Whether it's intentional or not is irrelevant, it's one of my least favorite gimmicks and I seldom have to hear it, for good reason. It's not artistic, it's just kind of annoying. When it happens live, it's hilarious. Big difference is that this isn't a Live album. Anyway, yeah. That's my review of Rejoicing In The Hands by Devendra Banhart. Why was this one included exactly?? Don't know. I don't think I had to hear this one before I died, but besides some annoying vocals on a good bit of the songs and the entirety of "Todo los Dolores" it wasn't offensively bad, and I did manage to listen to it for the entire day. Yet another album that goes in the "Grew on me" category. I'm starting to write that so often in these reviews that I need to start keeping track of them all. Ok, review over. I don't generally give a lot of 2's, but I feel this one earned it. Next album please.

Folk que no llena, al menos a mí, aunque dicen que es famoso y de culto

It’s fine. Listened on the drive to work, was inoffensive, none of the tracks really grabbed me. Probably a little too long but overall a pleasant enough, if a little borning album. 2.8

It's fine. There are a few nice songs and I like the vocal style. But nothing that really stands out that would make me a fan.

Is it a good sign that I fell asleep several times? Not a good inclusion.

“The album has sold 24,000 copies” Good King Wenceslas! Why was this included on this list?

Look it's ok, but a bit beige really. His voice kind of annoys me, the lyrics are ok, but at times feel like he's just waffling with la did da das, ah ums, etc. When the tracks picks up with bass and drums it improves. The song in Spanish is a highlight, but too often it returns to acoustic guitar, annoying whiney voice and leads to disinterest for me This is the guy at parties sitting in the corner making up songs to try to impress girls. To be fair its an impressive skill and probably works .. but, I'm not a girl looking for a cute hippy bearded Californian, so I guess it's just not resonating with me, I'll choose to enjoy the party with rockin tunes and my friends instead.

Pleasant enough but didn’t rock my world

Listened throughout the day Interested to have a second listen

Inoffensive indie music. The definition of "meh".

Beautiful, mysterious, unpredictable, intimate and strange. Can't wait to discover more Devandra Banhart after taking in this in a few times.

Absolute classic…wish they would release more 🙏🏼❤️

Soulful and emphatic

I could not finish this one, sorry, I try to finish all of the albums but this one was psychedelic twee.

Strange singer, strange voice, strange music.

Rating: 5/10 Meh.

Devendra Banhart, welcome to my Lone Star Music Club.

Just boring after a while, the kind of style that should only be 1 song on an album

This was a decent album. Easy to listen to, very competent. Good guitar work. I like this style of music, but I'm not sure why it's on this list. I didn't perceive anything that raised it above similar artists/albums from the acoustic-folk scene of the early 2000's. Definitely a good album though.

cool weird folk album. wouldve liked it more if i liked his voice a bit more. reminds me of bombay bicycle club dude. 3.5

My expectations for this were high. My overall experience was underwhelming. Not actively hated, but.... nope. Quite happy when the LP was over and done with. 2.5/5 stars

Very simple composition but with a unique voice. Sounds a lot like the singer to Bombay Bicycle Club to the point I had to look it up and see if it was the same person. Really enjoyed this one. 9/10

Nope, just nope!

This was intriguing in its oddness but I found it quite a chore to work through this one. 2.25/5

Da sitzt einer mit seiner Gitarre, spielt einige Akkorde, singt dazu, und nimmt das Ganze mit seinem Cassettenrecorder auf. Ganz nett, aber ist das wirklich eines der 1001 Alben, das man unbedingt gehört haben muss?

Lovely guitar playing! It's not a genre I love but I liked the artistic vision, lyrics/title/cover wise it is great, I just can not stand his voice. 2.5/5

Strange and beautiful. I'm really pleased to now know it. The singing style is distinctive and sounds sincere like it's his own speaking voice. Guitars and general atmosphere feels like neutral milk hotel in parts, Jose gonzales, sufjan Stevens in others. I feel quite motivated to spend more time with it and really get to know it

meh?

Really really liked This is the way and The body breaks. Everything else was meh.

Devendra Banhart hit me at the right point in the early 2000s, a new father full of that vulnerability and having a bit of a nervous breakdown and just learning guitar and filling my mind with John Fahey and the pre-electric T.Rex albums and folk blues CDs from the library. He went in some embarrassing directions after this, becoming a minor indie It boy, but these early homespun records still sound like they are broadcast by some kind of wicker spaceship.

Odd and eccentric, often captivating, and there’s some lovely poetry in lyrics such as, “Each strain of her hair / Is really insect eyes / And each hole in her tongue / Is always occupied / By the milk of the sun.” Glad the freak folk genre is represented, hope there’s more.

Songs sound more like demos. I can tolerate that gargle trilling voice from Marc Bolan but why anyone would imitate it decades later makes no sense.

unremarkable and oddly grating

Close to good

Heck yeah! This type of laid back folk album is exactly what I needed to start my day. Never heard of this cat before but I gotta admit I'm jealous of his middle name being Obi. All I got is a letter. No name, no period, just a letter.

Weird - a bit like a relaxed Jack Johnson... nice guitar work though.

This album just wasn’t for me. I thought all the songs were okay, but they sounded the same. There were a couple of standout songs, but really nothing else.

I had never heard of Devendra Banhart before and went into Rejoicing in the Hands with no expectations at all. Unfortunately, that didn’t help. In short, this is one of the most boring albums I’ve ever sat through. It feels like that bloke at a party who insists everyone listen to him, despite having absolutely nothing interesting to say. It’s all wispy, hippy nonsense, meandering acoustic guitar, and ideas that never really go anywhere. It drags on far longer than it should, and every track blends into the next in the most forgettable way possible. I struggled to stay engaged and, honestly, getting to the end felt like a chore rather than a pleasure. Favourite tracks: None. I didn’t connect with anything here and found it a very hard listen. Least favourite tracks: All of it. Album artwork: Cool album cover – easily the best thing about the album.

ight who added this to the list

A good album, I liked A Sight to Behold, The Body Breaks, Will Is My Friend and This Beard Is For Siobhan the most.

Started promising and got steadily more bullshit

almost certainly the Cutest record to have a micheal gira production credit. devendra banhart is a name i did not know until i got this but apparently he's a freak folk pioneer...i cant map him out exactly but this record may be considered a bit Docile next to some of the people who took the torch further. but imagining this as a relatively new vibe that had to be Created certainly helps, and tbh even if u dont its just rly rly nice. im particularly happy just with how song-based it is...i like freak folk for the big sprawling or winding structural moments, but its cool to have an album that has that slightly off kilter pastoral tone and atmosphere but remains very direct, melodic, and digestible. just fits into my ears effortlessly

As one half of Texan born, Venezuelan raised, American schooled but still British super group Houmous & Chutney, I can really appreciate the struggles in putting a record like this together. 2.5 12/16 Todo Los Dolores

Mostly it's a dude and an acoustic guitar playing and singing some mellow (some less mellow) folk songs with esoteric lyrics.

< the Beatles

A few good spots, a couple really annoying tracks (Poughkeepsie, This Beard Is For Siobhan…), but overall fine.

not for me but good

Meandering acoustic guitar bullshit. 1001st album to listen to after you're long gone

Not for me

Loved it, a great new find, thx!

Throwback to when I first heard of Devandra Banhart and it felt like discovering some secret tape from a found answering machine.

I like this!

it was okay but I think I was stressed while listening to it so I didn't love it. Had to pause it multiple times because I was overwhelmed.

Quite good The voice can be grating at times, but some good stuff. Perhaps goes on for a bit and loses my attention, but fine

351/1089 - This is kinda like that Joanna Newsom album (didn't like her voice or this guy's voice) but extremely stripped down which makes it significantly worse. Fall is almost a song I guess... Here are the album recs for all the 1 stars I missed: For Banhart: Think Tank - Blur (2003) A pit stop in-between the two Gorillaz albums combining the dub/hip-hop influence of Gorillaz with the Britpop and mild experimentation of Blur. A moody and exciting listen. For Spector: Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) I guess this is technically a soundtrack but seeing as a Bollywood soundtrack, DnB mixtape, and some Contemporary Classical is on this list, I don't think it's an issue. Everyone's heard Linus and Lucy and Christmastime is Here and Skating, good stuff.

Liking it so far, it feels like it has potential after enough listenings to become a comfortable old favourite, like if your roommate kept playing it and it creeps up on you, but on 2 listenings not there yet.

Quintessential early 2000s folk. I was getting Shakey Graves and Patrick Watson vibes from some of the tracks, like A Sight to Behold, Fall, and Autumn's Child, and those were my preferred tracks on the album. I liked the vocal tone some of the time, and other times it bordered on being annoying. I absolutely agree with James about this album being perfect for an indie movie soundtrack.

I thought this was a really pretty, quirky and interesting album

Honestly kinda liked this, so much respect for someone able to pull something off with mainly just vocals and guitar. He has a certain cadence to his voice and style of singing that I think could turn people away, but he is singing in tune mostly. Kinda had a DIY quirky feel to it, like it could be a soundtrack of a film like Juno (never seen it but it looks like it'd fit for some reason...) Liked a few of the songs which maybe I'll use to kick off a folky/singer songwriter playlist.

184/1001 Devandra Banhart - Rejoicing in the Hands Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I've heard Banhart's other stuff, but not this particular album. Whilst there is still the quirkiness in his lyrics and his delivery, the album isn't as out there as some of his later work. I think that's down to the simplistic nature to his guitar playing and lack of other real instrumentation around. For me, this is the perfect lazy weekend listen.

Boring acoustic music isn't my thing.

A Sight to Behold // The Body Breaks // This Beard Is for Siobhan // Fall //

Real folksy stuff. I could see myself in college being down bad for a girl that is into albums like this one. It's just okay.

I can’t pretend to be in love with this album, I didn’t adore it. But I did really like a handful of tracks on this album. As a whole the album was a little too slow for me, but the five tracks I really loved were “Poughkeepsie” “dogs they make up the dark” “tit smoking….” (Which is a great interlude but too long of a title to actually write down) “todo los Dolores” and “when the sun shone on vetiver”. I genuinely really adored those five songs, they were amazing instrumentally and they were so endearing and angelic. I’ll definitely be looking for this album in the future to add it to the collection.

Álbum Indie acústico ok. Não foi uma experiência marcante. Tangzu Wan'er 2.

Nice and pleasant to listen to and definitely one of the better folk rock albums I've listened to on this list. I like his voice too. But folk music has never really done anything for me.

After only one listen, I found this to be pretty increasing. I'm not sure if it will keep growing in me or get frustrating if I give it more time, but I'm going to rate it based on my first impression.

Good god what a snooze fest! They Should use this album as the soundtrack to a documentary about napping. Or like for a Juno remake where they make it even sadder and more awkward and less funny. I had to skip thru most of the songs mid-song, I could not stand this whatsoever, takes a lot to get me to love folk music. positive notes 1) I actually enjoy his mildly annoying voice 2) Tit Smoking in the Temple of Artisian Mimicry is a pretentiously fun name for a song and the guitar in it was interesting to hear but won’t ever come back to that song either 3) cool album cover. His guitar playing is generally impressive yet not interesting. The rest of this album was dogwater. For me, generally, Great lyrics come after pulling me in musically and I just couldn’t get pulled in. I bet the lyrics are beautiful poetry that would have been more interesting as spoken word, but I can’t be sure because I had to protect my sanity by skipping most of it. 0.8 stars. ZZZZZZZZZZ

This is not what I was expecting today. Really nice folksy sounds that is at times like alt-j going acoustic. Interesting album, I can’t sing you back anything but I really enjoyed the whole thing and it was a great way to start a 5 hour drive this morning.

This sort of whiny voice and busy guitar was popular back in 2004. Cannot think why.

Cool i like it

Best Track - "Insect Eyes"

Never even heard of this guy before. It's early 2000s folk, slightly psychedelic and very stripped down yet also sounds quite intricate. He sings about simple things like nature and weather in a haunting voice. There's 16 songs but many of them are very short. My favourite was 'The Body Breaks' but witness the Ray Davies-esque 'This Beard Is For Siobhan", from what I can tell this song is about growing a beard because his girlfriend likes them.' There Was Sun' is about being given birth to, in the style of Donovan and the atmospheric piano-driven 'Autumn's Child' is also worth a go. Some of this is obviously quite throwaway such as the 90 second instrumental' Tit Smoking in the Temple of Artesan Mimicry' (some song title). Was tempted to go for a 4, but some of this is pretty samey and grates a bit. But the high spots are ones to add to your playlist. I wouldn't be surprised to discover he has done better albums.

my cat really liked this one, very nice chill acoustic sound

Lyrics were okay but my god by the second song I was done.

Grating. Annoying. I hate it.

Burde æ vært i målgruppa for det her da det kom? Sannsynligvis ja. Føle æ æ gikk glipp av nokka ved å aldri høre på det? Egentlig ikke.

Goid

Wanted to love it more than I do. 3/5

Liked it. Relaxed

Surprisingly, although this guy is big in the indie folk circles and I’m aware of him, his stuff doesnt connect with me

As far as new folk goes this is better than many. But the ceiling on this is pretty low

This one is hard to pin down for me. Very different. Not entirely sure how I feel about it. But in the final analysis, I quite enjoyed it in many ways.

**Devendra Banhart – *Rejoicing In The Hands*** *Released 2004 on Young God Records* Genre: Freak-folk / Psychedelic folk / Singer-songwriter --- ### 1. Lyrical World – Surreal diary pages from a wandering mind Banhart writes like a lucid dreamer channeling 1920s surrealists, Latin-American poets and backyard-prophets. - **Free-association** is the dominant mode: lines such as *“each strand of hair is really insect eyes”* or *“tit smoking in the temple of artesan mimicry”* refuse literal decoding but evoke child-like wonder, erotic under-currents and ecological mysticism. - **Motifs that repeat**: the sun as healer/destroyer, bodies breaking/re-assembling, animals as mirrors (dogs, insects, birds), motherhood, nomadism and an innocent-but-carnal spirituality. - **Bilingual play**: Spanish fragments (*“Todos los Dolores”*, *“Poughkeepsie”*) add a trans-American texture, hinting at his Venezuelan childhood. - **Emotional tenor**: despite the whimsy, a bruised tenderness runs underneath—songs speak of abandonment, transient love and the fragile hope that “the sun will shine on Vetiver.” ### 2. Musical Fabric – Finger-picked miniatures that feel mic’d in 1968 - **Core palette**: close-miked nylon & steel-string guitar, occasionally augmented by slide, violin, piano, double-bass or hand-claps. - **Technique**: rapid, almost Elizabethan finger-picking alternates with slack-key drones; occasional flamenco flourishes or country-blues bass runs flash by. - **Song scale**: 16 tracks, most under 2½ minutes. Structures feel spontaneous—some verses stop mid-thought, others restart after Banhart forgets lyrics (*“Todos los Dolores”* keeps the false start). - **Vocals**: a vibrato-heavy falsetto that can pivot from lullaby croon to cracked yelp in a syllable. Detractors call it “twee-marmite”; supporters hear Tim Buckley’s spectral child. - **Harmonic language**: modal folk minor chords, unexpected II→V turns, sudden major-seventh sunbursts that mirror the lyrical leap from despair to wonder. ### 3. Production Aesthetic – Crackling campfire intimacy - **Engineer / label**: Michael Gira (Swans) on his Young God imprint; recorded in one or two days, mostly live to 2-track. - **Sound signature**: room hum, chair creaks, tape-hiss left intact; no click-tracks, overdubs minimal. Creates the illusion of walking in mid-session. - **Dynamic range**: whispered passages sit next to clipped peaks when Banhart lunges toward the mic—an anti-compression stance that fuels the “outsider art” vibe. - **Mix hierarchy**: voice and guitar always central; ornamental instruments (ghost-slide on *“When the Sun Shone on Vetiver”*, bar-room piano on *“Will Is My Friend”*) sit just beneath, more like accidental apparitions than arranged parts. ### 4. Thematic Spine – Innocence & transience as spiritual practice Across the micro-songs a larger meditation emerges: celebrate impermanence rather than fear it. Bodies break, seasons pivot, dogs dissolve into darkness, yet the sun returns and “we are alive, thankfully in the sun’s hands.” The refusal to polish or elongate mirrors the worldview—life is short, slightly detuned, beautiful because it frays. ### 5. Influence & Legacy – Catalyst of 2000s freak-folk explosion - **Immediate ripples**: helped legitimize the New Weird America scene, paving the way for Joanna Newsom, Vetiver, Akron/Family, early Fleet Foxes EPs, even later Anohni projects. - **Indie-folk timbre**: the ultra-close acoustic guitar / falsetto combo became a default indie template (Tallest Man on Earth, Iron & Wine’s *Woman King* EP, Sufjan’s quieter moments). - **Lo-fi revival**: proved you could issue intentionally raw recordings on a respected cult label and still crack year-end lists (Pitchfork 9.0, Mojo Top 40 2004). - **Cover art & handmade ethos**: Banhart’s own naïf line drawings on the sleeve pre-dated the DIY zine-look now common on Bandcamp folk releases. --- ### Pros - **Instant atmosphere** – you feel present in the room within five seconds. - **Guitar virtuosity disguised as nonchalance** – intricate patterns sound like casual strums. - **Lyrical originality** – few 21st-century writers balance absurdity and heart this effortlessly. - **Coherent brevity** – 42 min but 16 songs; no track overstays, ideal for repeat spins. - **Historical importance** – cornerstone document of freak-folk; influenced a decade of indie music. ### Cons - **Vocal divisiveness** – fluttering falsetto can feel mannered or cloying on first contact. - **Mid-album dip** – after the opening salvo (*“This Is the Way”*, *“A Sight to Behold”*, *“The Body Breaks”*) a cluster of very short, similar-tempo pieces blurs together. - **Lo-fi fatigue** – persistent hiss & lack of low-end may tire ears on bright systems. - **Songwriting slightness** – fragmentary approach means few melodies stick in the head like conventional hooks; rewards patience but can feel sketch-like. - **Twee precipice** – whimsical titles and elfin delivery skirt cutesy territory; listeners allergic to preciousness may bail early. --- ### Verdict *Rejoicing In The Hands* remains a singular postcard from the margins: half enchanted forest, half cracked sidewalk. Its flaws (vocal polarisation, mid-set sag) are inseparable from its charms—remove the hiss or lengthen the tunes and the spell collapses. For those willing to lean into its raw mystic miniature, the album still feels like a sun-dappled secret that bigger, glossier folk records have never quite overheard.

Mmm... First couple were ok. Rest got pretty wierd

I've been getting an oddly high amount of folk music lately. It's a little exhausting to listen to in quick succession quite honestly. No personal slander to Mr. Banhart himself either, but I just can't really get into folk. The quirky vocal delivery certainly didn't help matters either, as it gets grating after a certain point. The soft melodies weren't enough to sway my mind.

not my cup of tea

I quite enjoyed this. That being said I listened to a lot of this type of folk in the mid 2000s and there were a plethora of singer songwriters producing albums exactly like this, so I am not sure what makes this stand out above the rest. My sense is that I will likely forget about this at the end of the project and for that reason I cannot give it a 4, but it is a solid 3.5. Will is my Friend is the standout track. the album ended well 3.5 stars

Sometimes boring, sometimes a little twee, but overall enjoyable! I feel like every time it threatened to get too dry, it'd throw in a new instrument or vocal to shake things up. Don't think I loved it, but found it consistently engaging.

2.5

Oh man I really liked this so much. It's so delicate and heart-felt, and his voice is so interesting. Occasionally, it's a little too one-paced and sometimes needs a bit more variety in the instrumentation, but overall it's a beautiful little bit of folky Americana.

Boy, this does nothing for me, which shouldn't be surprising because of the freak-folk association. I'm not anti-Banhart, though. I reviewed one of his shows for Spin and liked it, and he was fun when he appeared on Varietopia. So maybe it's just this flavor or era that doesn't grab me. While the write-up in the 1,001 book is almost comically hyperbolic in its praise, these songs just wash over me and are quickly forgotten.

I've heard of this artist but never heard him. Now I have, and I have some advice for you. If someone you're romantically interested in expresses an interest in Devendra Banhart, I suggest you run because: 1) this person will very likely express a lot of very intense and rigid opinions on a wide variety of topics, with only marginal at best knowledge on the topic; 2) you will almost certainly be responsible for paying for essentially every cost associated with the relationship; and 3) sorry, but he/she's already cheating on you. Find someone who's into Van Halen or Sabrina Carpenter, or preferably both.

I'm giving this a 3 because some of it was pleasant to hear, some of it was weird, and I think it's original. But I gotta say, I found some of it to be damn near unlistenable. 3

I was not previously familiar with the artist or album. This is a kind of acoustic folk album. It reminded me of something I might imagine Nick Drake doing if he was active in a later timeframe. I enjoyed it and would listen again.

Psychedelic folk was still happening in 2004? That blew my mind...

Maybe it’s undeserving of this, but I found literally nothing to enjoy in this album, and it’s been a while since I’ve given a 1.

Eh? Kinda went by without me noticing.

This is where I write my scathing review

Overall: 3/10 I find this dude's voice incredibly annoying and it's destroying any good feelings I have about this album. To be fair, there really isn't much to like about it anyway. The guitar work is fine but doesn't really blow me away. Also, the melodies kind of get away from him at times. Fav Song: Rejoicing in the Hands

spooky folk

A real vibe, especially as this popped up whilst having a bath and it was a great back drop for that. Cool sounding.

Not great. 2/5

Not quite

Voice sucks. Indie boy sound. He might be from Texas but he has the worst fake southern drawl. Forced and fake vibrato. 16 tracks of the same song.

I really like the mood this album sets at the first song and sticks to throughout the entire album. Its not my favorite kind of music by a long shot though. It was a fun one of listen to but not something I will come back to in the future.

I'd known the name for a long time and assumed it was a women. Then, weirdly, he was a guest on the Adam Buxton Podcast recently and i discovered he was a man and also he seemed like genuinely the loveliest and most positive person in the world. This all meant i was delighted with receiving this album and it received my full attention. The good: a fairly unique voice, some excellent guitar playing and a not surprisingly warm and welcoming vibe. The bad: lyrically its a bit twee and there really isnt much originality here. It comes from a school of jose gonzalez, damien rice etc and either one would have sufficed.

One of the weirdest entries on this list. There are some songs that I LOVE. And the rest of the album is unplayable Best Song: A Sight to Behold Rating: 4.5/10 Stars: 2

Ziemlich langeweilig. Klingt für mich alles gleich.

I can understand the negative reviews, but I personally enjoyed this. Haven't heard of this guy and would be willing to check out more from him.

This album is somewhere in between boring and fascinating for me. The amateurish production works well with the genre but midway through I couldn't help but doze off just a little. Vocals got a bit annoying at times but through and through it was a good listen. top 3: a sight to behold, will is my friend, and rejoicing in the hands 2.75-3/5

There's almost something good here, but it is mostly dross and filler.

2.1

I have to admit that I should have paused this for the holiday weekend, and I might do so after this because I wasn’t into listening to Devendra Banhart while cooking for Thanksgiving. In fact, his music kind of creeped me out a bit. Banhart plays a kind of psychedelic folk music that is basically him playing guitar and singing. Add in that he looks like, or at least at the time of this album, Charles Manson and I was just not into this. I remember when Banhart came on the scene back in the 2000s and he was the new hot, weird, indie darling. I wasn’t into him then, and I’m not into him now. Full disclosure, I didn’t listen to the whole album. That has rarely happened so far on my journey through the 1,001 Albums. This will be short and sweet because I’ve got to bake the dressing and other fixings for second Thanksgiving today. Devendre Banhart is for folk music and Manson lovers, but otherwise, it’s great for Halloween. As for me, I’m out.

7/10 Gentle and fiery. Very odd lyrics - too odd, if I'm honest - but I love the guitar sound.

Middle of the road singer song writer stuff.

Never quite know what to think about Devendra, but pretty sure I skew positive

I started this the day it was issued to me, I got half way through & started again on Sunday.while shoveling my driveway out after a snowstorm. The whimsy of the first listen was gone in the gray Midwest snowy hellscape. I told this Hipster douche-tool to Go Fuck Himelf when I heard the line about freezing as scraped into my driveway of Ice & slush. Then his cracked haggard voice droning on about getting older does not help my aching back. While shoveling snow this is a 2. 3 in other less frozen hellscapes.

I was both bored and annoyed with this.

Not great but some songs feel good

Et roligt sårbart album, men lidt for meget baggrundsmusik efter min smag.

This one was a bit of a strange one. The lyrics were pretty weird on a bunch of the tracks which I found interesting, and the music was fine. Not something I'm likely to return to in the future, but an ok listen Standouts Insect eyes 3/5

Haha, good one. Ok, what's my actual album for today?

Tried to give this a fair shake, and there are some songs that aren’t absolutely horrid to listen to, but at some point I hit a song that started grating on my nerves and hit stop. Just had enough. 1.5 / 5

Did not hate this! But I'm kinda into strummy acoustic vibes, this was almost Iron & Wine-esque which appealed to me. I'll probably never give a fresh new album 5 stars but this was close.

I could imagine wandering around a folk festival 20 years ago and coming upon a stage with this guy playing. I'd sit down, adjust my visor, and let out a big contented sigh. I'd have enjoyed a couple songs and then move on, maybe played some hacky sack or got a lentil burger. Oh the times I had! Nowadays time doesn't stretch before me in quite the same way. I'm listening to this guy on a laptop, one of three screens I am attending to, and it just isn't quite the same. Thanks for reminding me of simpler days Devendra.

Nostalgia for the simple times for random folk music stages at festivals - check. Do I also feel like I listened to 27 variations of the same song… like a working demo tape… also yes

It’s weird, it’s mellow, it crawls on its belly like a reptile. It’s freak folk! And somehow Debendra makes it work. From the album cover to the final song Autumn’s Child, he had me paying attention (and thinking I shoulda had a bag o’ weed handy.) Simple guitar, complex lyrics, shaky voice make for a weird combo that I enjoyed. (3.4*s) I wonder if he really slipped out of his mother’s womb on a hot, sunny afternoon, it’s a strange topic to sing about so maybe actually happened, or maybe it just rhymed.

Slow burn of an album that may be good for a late night fireside talk. Banhart has a unique voice and singing style that I can't say I really like or hate. "Fall" is the only track I was into. Overall, just a little too artsy for me. There are other folk albums on the list but this record was a bit different. 1.85 stars for something newish.

Can't say I was familiar with Devendra Banhart and after listening to this album I can see why he wasn't on my radar. It's not that the music is bad, it just isn't my cup of tea. It's a pretty artsy fartsy modern folk album from what I can tell. It's hard to knock this album as it is objectively competent but doesn't do anything for me personally. Most of the songs are a little too slow for my liking. The best tracks are the ones that kick it up a notch with a little accompaniment (Fall). I can see how this would be an indie hit and be used various pop culture media. There's plenty worse than this on the list but I'll personally file this one away. 1.79 stars

Album #970 Mostly vocals and an acoustic guitar. That is strike one for me - boring. Strike two is how he pronounces some of his words - annoying. Only two strikes, so I suppose it's a 2/5. On a positive note, some of lyrics are interesting, and it's clean.

I've always liked this album. But I'm just a twee guy

Meh

maybe there’s something here and I’m just not getting it. bored and kinda straining

sounds like a sexy and illiterate working class man. would smash. Adding an extra point so Devendra notices me. If you see this Devendra, you can take my anal virginity please call me my phone is (608) 769-4621

Reminds me of that Gayle Waters-Waters skit about Sufjan Stevens and Bon Iver living in a nest together, and every time they see each or hear other they get scared. This is cute, but I feel like this dude could be in that nest.

Alternative folk that is well executed but a little too fringey for my liking. I liked the very loose and delicate style and the writing was good, but this is something I would enjoy more as a one-off live performance than an album to listen to repeatedly. Might check out some of his other work eventually.

Voice too much vibrato

bleh boring didnt even bother listening

cool vibes but he has better albums

Pretty interesting, should listen again.

I've never heard of this artist before and I am always excited when this happens. On paper, I should like this album. Acoustic and singer/songwriter tend to be right up my alley but I didn't find most songs interesting. However, I did like the song "Fall" and find the artist's work generally intriguing even if I wouldn't listen to it in my spare time. I discovered his other stuff, such as the album Mala, that I do find more enjoyable than this album.

Kann man hören!

Sleepy guitar music 😴

Who is Devendra Banhart and why do I have to listen to his album before I die?