Reviews (page 4 of 7)
Inoffensive modern folk, good background music.
okay this was actually pretty good, but is it the only young god records/swans related album here??? damn
It sounds like the kind of thing you don't get a good view of if you only listen to it once. I might give it another shot on my own time.
It was….fine
Some nice songs but nothing that blew me away. Enjoyed it though. Reminded me a bit of Alt J
this was pretty nice
Thought this was going to be another generic early 2000s indie folk album. Pleasantly surprised that it actually is channeling marc bolan's early tyrannosaurus rex era. Pretty good.
Quirky AF. But some very nice guitar work and the overall vibe (including the artwork) make it a repeat listen.
peaceful indie
Freak folky new weird America type. It’s kind of uncanny…it’s odd, familiar, comforting, offputting. It’s a classic 60s/70s folk album with a twist of something strange. The vocals, the melodies, the guitar picking all feel like you know them but they’re just a bit different (and odder) than you remember. An overall pleasant listen, but also not a standout.
Hienoa ja taitavaa soitantaa akustisella. Tiettyyn fiilistelyyn hiljaisena ja aurinkoisena viikonloppupäivänä. Yleisellä tasolla kuitenkin ajoittain vaan tylsä.
Kai tän vois määritellä nykyfolkiksi. No folkkiakin on kuraa ja jytää. Tää on jotain siitä väliltä
Not my thing
I'd heard of Devendra in the past via a folk-loving friend who raved in an almost cult-like manner about how fantastic he was. Listened to a few tracks here & there over the years but this is the first album I recall listening to in full. It was ok. Very folksy indeed, but with an edge to it. No particular standout moment.
This was inoffensive I guess, very bland. To be played in a coffee shop.
I didn't hate this like everyone else did, but it didn't blow me away.
Supple music, beautiful faint voice and great songs, I feel this is contemporary enough to had come out anytime in the last 30 years. 3.3
It was a large record show ,it like a nightclub. A lot of people I knew throughout my life was there. I tried to hide from them though one person did know I was there. I followed him. We were both wearing big brown heavy jackets and I'd sink my face into mine so he couldn't see me. There was also places to feed your pigs. Earlier in the night I had moved to London and this nightclub record show might ve taken place there.
Another album that would require multiple listens to see if it speaks to me. Initial listen all the way through was fine but nothing special
The acoustic sound is incredible. I don't know anything about the folk revival music scene, so to me Banhart might as well be the best at this style of guitar. The weird lyrics I can't get behind, although I kind of see what he was going for. To be fair, I don't think there are any words that would properly complement these melodies - more classic folk texts would sound too grounded. I don't enjoy his singing style either.
Cute some good songs
Esoteric
Gewöhnungsbedürftige Stimme, aber sonst schönes Akkustikalbum.
I like the vocals here a lot. The instrumentation is very simple, but as yet, I'm unsure if that's good or bad. This is mellower than my standard stuff but it's put together well. I feel a little bad because I think he has a reputation as a lyricist, but I'm too busy to listen carefully to the words. Anyway, I liked this. Good relaxed folk. 3.5 rounding down, just because that feels right.
Todo los Delores is one of my favorite, favorite songs of all time , and perfect for today's weather. This album was actually really foundational in the formation of my music taste, so it's hard to rate it "objectively". I had a few moments I really enjoyed, but it wasn't that lyrically compelling for me. So I'll give it a 3.5, rounding down to a 3.
i can’t be bothered. it’s probably fine
Here's an album that I had no expectations for. Rejoicing in the Hands by Devendra Banhart is certainly an album that exists. But you know what? I like it. This is a nice album. It's nothing extravagant, but it does its job well. It may not excel at anything, but it also doesn't fail at anything either. The writing is solid. Devendra Banhart is not Bob Dylan or Leonard Cohen, but does he really have to be? Can he be? Can anyone be? I didn't think so. Still, songs like "A Sight to Behold" do manage to succeed in having an emotional core to them. The same can be said about the album at large. The sound is nice. It's a tad repetitive, but I think this is more of a "tried and true formula" type thing rather than laziness. Besides, the sound is good, so who cares? The singing is also solid. I like it. The album's pacing is respectable. Overall, this is just a solid, relatively recent folk album. High 3/5.
Lovely acoustic folk that’s influenced by classic folk singers while adding a modern style. I like that he gets a little weird in his vocals sometimes.
I think I just missed the Devendra Banhart train when a lot of my friends in college were getting into him. I remember listening to a few tracks from an album or two but not really getting pulled in enough to want more, so I'm happy to have to go through a full album now. My first impression is that I'm sad that I didn't listen to him more when I was younger as I liked this kind of sound a lot back then. The guitar and voice together sound alone and allow so much room sonically for little vocal inflections and real nice musical moments. There's a lot of thought here for all the little moments where his voice quivers or when he arpeggiates a chord instead of doing a full regular strum. After a few songs though I feel myself wanting more; and the sound has started to become a repetitive one. On "Will Is My Friend", we get some soft kick drum hits and a distant old timey piano which is cool, but the song itself is pretty boring and feels like when I've finally been given more interesting elements it's unfortunately on a song that is forgetful. It's a middle of the road 3 for me. There's a few choices that I think are really nice and enjoyable in the sound, and then a few other choices that I find make the album drag on.
Not a huge fan but the guitar finger style and voicing work is amazing
it was fine, I feel like I should've liked it more
Weird
Had some promising moments but overall I felt it just wasn't something I had any personal draw too.
Correcto
While I don't think it was revelatory, it's cool to see the development of Psych-folk from one of its most prominent artists. I'm hopeful Smokey is hidden somewhere else in the list then
Not my thing but pleasant listening.
++: This Is the Way, The Body Breaks, Poughkeepsie, Tit Smoking in the Temple of Artesan Mimicry, When the Sun Shone on Vetiver, Insect Eyes +: A Sight to Behold, Dogs They Make Up the Dark, This Beard Is for Siobhán, Fall, There Was Sun +-: Will Is My Friend, See Saw, Rejoicing in the Hands, Autumn's Child -: Todos los Dolores 7,0/10
Not familiar with Devendra prior to this. Rather enjoyed it - a solid 3.
Not bad, just long and monotonous. 3/5
Twiddly melodic folk sung by an angry cat.
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.
Modern folk-rock isn't really my thing and to be honest I was expecting whiny, warbly, boring music. But, I was surprised to find most of this album pleasant. (with just a bit of the whiny, warbly, boring music in the middle) The artist had the decency to mostly keep the tracks at Three minutes or less allowing a nice variation that kept it moving.
Indie Folk for hipsters.
Nice but a bit boring - background music.
I find him a bit overrated compared to some of his contemporaries who I like more, but this album is solid. I like the interesting and unique chords he uses on many of the songs here.
Yeah I’m not remembering this tomorrow.
Non male ma niente di impressionante
Heel apart album, begin en eind is best leuk, midden niet zo. 6/10
A modern day Wielder of Words but without the bongos.
An album! That you can listen to! With your ears!
🎧This is a pretty boring but altogether fine folk album. Favorite song is an instrumental, Tit Smoking in the Temple of Artesan Mimicry. Reminds me of John Fahey, and hell of a title.
The commercial arm of the New Weird America. Quite liked it.
Surprisingly decent.
Ken deze man wel van zijn recentere art-folk, als je het zo mag noemen. Maar dit oudere werk van hem is veel stoffiger en organischer folk dan wat ik van hem gewend was. En het bevalt op momenten echt goed, en ik imagineer tijdens het luisteren Fargo/True Detective-achtige scenes, of een Coen Brothers film, en dat lijkt me een goed teken. Ik ga hier vaker op terugkomen, want ik weet niet of één luisterbeurt genoeg is om de magie - die er wel inzit - echt goed te inhaleren. Bij de laatste handvol tracks is hij me kwijt, terwijl het begin veelbelovend was. 7/10 Highlights: A Sight to Behold Will Is My Friend This Beard Is for Siobhan
Ik lees veel bagger in de reviews, maar eigenlijk ga ik altijd wel lekker op dit soort psychedelic folk albums uit de zeroes. De nummers zijn meer dan de man met zijn gitaar. Zeker door het gebruik van violen, orgel en percussie stijgen de nummers op en kan er een bijzondere sfeer worden neergezet. De stem van de singer-songwriter is dan essentieel. En ik kan altijd wel goed luisteren naar Devandra Benhart. Ik vind dat hij een echte film-stem heeft en nummers van de plaat zijn ook gebruikt in series en (horror)films. Wat hij op Rejoicing in the Hands doet is het neerzetten van een bepaald gemoed en ik vind dat gewoon wel mooi. Ik ga dus niet mee met alle kritisiche reviews en geef Devandra een... 7,5/10 Highlights -
Fine if you're in the mood to continue your depressive episode with music.
Enjoyable most of the way through but then noodly harp got a bit too much for me in places
He wants to fuck a cockroach or something It was fine. I liked Insect Eyes
it was ok. easy listening. nothing jumped out as great.
Folksy quivering Feels light, lofty, soars above Rains lovely weirdness
Nice sound
Better than expected
Better than expected.
Full tilgerðarlegt á köflum. En lög bera með sér að önnur umferð gæti opnað eitthvað. 3,5.
I do like a few of the songs that have a melancholic, relaxing vibe. The weird lyrics and the strange obsession this guy has with anatomy is a bit off-putting. Good, but not much else to write home about. Favourite songs: Insect Eyes, The Body Break Worst songs: Poughkeepsie, See Saw
Some folksy psychedelics. The first few songs were soothing and good for a cold day. The rest are quite strange. Nevertheless they are all performed well. Overall ok
Unexpected. 3.5
The songs could benefit from a bit of extra work, whether that be extending the song, cutting it completely, or something completely different is up for debate. The guitar intro on “A Sight To Behold” was reminiscent of Leonard Cohen’s intro to “Avalanche” and given the former’s shorter length, I would say the only good quality of the song is taken from a better one. I do enjoy the guitar melodies being played, though. They’re truly lovely. Will say that it is pretty easy to tune out though. Lyrics are pretty good. Instrumentation is everything it needs to be. All in all, just felt a little bored. 3/5
The album felt a little same-sy at times, but after a second listen, the second half of the album definitely caught my attention more. A nice folk album that isn't scared to breathe. Could do without Devendra's weird proto-cursive voice though. Favorite song: Insect Eyes Least favorite: This Is The Way Knew before? No
Best Song: A Sight to Behold. Pleasantly melancholy. Worst Song: Tit Smoking in the Temple of Artesan Mimicry. Just a not particularly interesting guitar workshop in the middle of the album... Overall: A fine, if not all that exciting, album. Quite and unobtrusive. Good for background music while reading or cooking, I suppose.
More folk. Very eclectic we’ll say. Not my bag.
Solid folk. Not much else to say. No low points. Started out pretty good and just stayed in that lane the whole time. A bit repetitive if anything.
A little too folky for my liking. One of those albums that was nice to listen to cause it is pretty unoffensive music, but i could not wait for it to be over. Low 3
This was a very soothing album. Loved the violin throughout but nothing stood out enough to go for a 4. High 3 it is.
man never taught how to sing makes album
Favorite Track: This Is The Way
Moderne folkrock, stille, og lidt forvirrende
Nice cover art and nice guitar (especially in "A Sight to Behold") but i'm sure the guy is 100% insufferable in person.
In my opinion there were mainly three flavors of folk songs on this album. They were either haunting, sweet, or weird. Haunting: "A Sight to Behold", "Dogs They Make Up In the Dark", "See Saw", "When The Sun Shone On Vetiver", "There Was Sun", and "Insect Eyes". Sweet: "This is The Way", "Body Breaks", "Will Is My Friend", "Rejoicing In The Hands", and "Todo Los Dolores". Weird: "Poughkeepsie" ,"This Beard is For Siobhan", and "Fall". I tended to prefer the haunting ones and I could have done without a lot of the weird or sweet ones. It does capture a mood from that era but overall I don't think it's a "need to listen". If you like a folk vibe, check it out. Otherwise you could probably miss it.
Like Nick Drake with really stepped up production. Seriously, shout out to the sound engineers. As for the music, it actually kinda grew on me somewhat towards the end, I might end up regretting this later, but what the hell, have a 3 Devendra!
Very nice folk songs, I love his fragile voice (Vibrato) and the lyrics. In general it wasn't the best album I have ever listened to but it's a nice one to listen whilst doing some chores or when you're travelling I guess
i'm sorry i just can't handle any more indie folk than what i've heard thus far in my life. im not demure enough for this
This was pretty good.
melow music kinda boring but okay, won't come back to it i think.
Not quite my thing but there was some good stuff here.
its ok. not my style
its a pretty good low fi singer songwriter album. some of the melodies blow out other tracks leaving a little bit to be desired
Interesting
It was okay.
Bit annoying at times but ok
This was decent; I'm not familiar with Banhard at all, but I could see putting this on again if I'm in a folksy mood.
Decent album. I thought I wouldn't like this, but it's better than expected. I noticed that later in the album there's 1-2 tracks that have minimal backing percussion, and I definitely prefer those. 3.49/5
This was nice
Not sure what to make of this one. I see this as an evolution of folk music and singer-songwriter lyric-driven albums, but maybe it’s from an alternate dimension. The guitar is clear and straightforward, but got a bit repetitive by the end. Banhart has one of those voices you either love or hate. I tend to like a higher, nasal male tone (I see you Geddy Lee and Les Claypool), so this worked for me, except when some phrasing bordered on going too “country.” Songs I liked: A Sight to Behold, The Body Breaks, Will is my Friend, Tit Smoking in the Temple of Artesan Mimicry (for the name of nothing else), Rejoicing in the Hands, Fall, the music from Insect Eyes, and Autumn’s Child. Things I didn’t understand: Poughkeepsie - what’s the deal with naming Elvis albums?, counting in so many songs, the lyrics to Insect Eyes. Not sure I would ever choose to listen to this again, but not mad that I gave it a chance. I’m going to give this one: 3⭐️
Hyväntuulinen sunnuntailevy sopi hyvin ajomatkalle kotiin.
A fresh breeze in a warm day. The album might seam at first just another guy with a guitar, but it provides a really enjoyable experience. 7/10
Never cared for this Freak Folk revival when it happened and it definitely does nothing for me now.
Really good music, but not my thing. Difficult for me to rate...
sounds like the lumineers, fleet foxes, and mumford and sons. a couple of the songs i liked enough to add to my library, but a lot of them sounded super similar. however, i could totally see this band growing on me, especially in the fall
Very nice Wasn’t in the mood I guess Meh Grew on me Cool but not a ‘must listen’
decent folk music, nothing exceptional
Very folksy sounding, spare arrangements and definitely an unique voice that sounds like something from the late sixties/ early 70's. Enjoyable enough, didn't really interest me too much, but it was both beautiful and boring at the same time. His voice did begin to irritate me the longer I listened. I liked the guitar work though.
Pretty good, liked the guitar. Singing was pretty good, but the songs sort of bled together
Really well crafted, nice, but not one I'll listen to again.
It's comfy, but not relaxing. He has a nice voice and plays well, but I think I automatically expect acoustic music to be relaxing.
Liked the acoustic sound a lot. The songs were a little weird but I enjoyed listening to them.
- erst dachte ich, dass mir die Stimme auf den Sack gehen würde, aber irgendwie wars dann einfach stimmig - der erste Song hat mich direkt gecatcht und auch danach ging es toll weiter - zur Mitte hin hat das Album ein kleines Tief - erholt sich zum Ende hin dann aber wieder sehr gut
A nice soothing listen, coffee shop vibes. Soulful singing. Nice acoustic guitar sounds.
Some of this ran together and was a little one note. Some decent guitar work though. I liked “Fall”. Overall a pleasant listen.
This was another nice surprise. Obviously not a style that many people flock to as further supported by pretty low sales. But so what. Good music is good music. And I particularly enjoyed some of his acoustic stylings which clearly show a better depth and command of the instrument. Overall an enjoyable listen.
Recognizing this one probably won’t be for everyone, likely on account of his vocals. But I used to listen to Devandra’s stuff fairly often, just liked the vibe and his acoustic skills.
I dug this. Really nice guitar playing and song writing. Vocals and lyrics were intriguing, almost haunting at times. Dev has seen some shit. 3.25
A nice little surprise. This is the way and Fall were standout tracks to me. Need to check out some of his other stuff. 3/5
Säregen röst, några fina låtar som dessutom inte är evighetslånga. Dock låter många av låtarna ganska lika.
op zich niet slecht... enkele toffe deuntjes... te eentonig wel om een hele plaat uit te zitten
Do…I like more folk music than I thought?
Decent listen.
good chill acoustic
I struggle with a lot of indie folk, but this is fine I guess. I wish that the songs varied a little more, the guitar parts are very similar on a lot of songs. His voice isn't as bad as people made it seem. 2.5
Weird artsy folk music. Good if you're in the mood for it but I probably won't come back to it
Agradable
this is so my scene but it is also not my album
I struggled so much with this album. The first few tracks made me feel like I wanted to give it a 1 star review, but then a track would come along that made me want to listen over and over again! It wavered between unlistenable and fucking awesome!! I absolutely loved ‘see saw’ and most of these stars are for that track. I could imagine jack white performing see saw, and most of the other tracks could be performed by a hippie uni student at a weekend party with an acoustic guitar and a bag of cheap weed. Such a conflict !!
I hadn't heard of Devendra Banhart before and I really enjoyed this guitar, folksy vibe! It really suited the overcast melancholy of the weather today, perfect for cuddling up in front of the heater with a coffee. I found the vibrato annoying in spots, but I think I'd come back to listen to this one again sometime.
not for me at all but an easy listen. i'm one flat white away from a feeling like i'm sitting in a Starbucks
Not bad. A little one dimensional though. Would probably not listen to again. Gives me vibes of NMWG, but not as good.
This was a pretty solid indie/folk album. Some areas got a bit stagnant, but overall pleasant. 3/5
Banhart is always freaky and unique, but the songs don’t really stick.
This was never my favorite Devendra Banhart record. In my opinion he peaked about two or three albums later. This one is fine
I got the idea after about five songs. Banhart has a lovely wistful voice, but his lyrics are lacking.
Was expecting Captain Beefheart for some reason. Very pleasant.
I need to be in the mood for DB, which I wasn't. Nice enough background though.
Incredible first side. Completely flat second side
5/10 Jesus...1001 albums...I don't hate this, far from it. If this came on the radio I wouldn't turn it off. That being said I'm not going to jump up and go find more from this artists catalog. It's the kind of thing you'd like if you like that sort of thing. 4-25-2024
chill album, not for me though mayb 6-7/10
A pretty cute and nice listen. There's not really much more I can say about it other than that. Some of these tracks I would see best being played in the background or even to fall asleep to (in the good kind of way).
3.5
It's not exactly my kind of music but I enjoyed it a bit. It caught my attention in more than 1 song. It's peaceful
Good, kind of boring though. I'm sure if I paid more attention I would have appreciated this more.
There are certain elements about Rejoicing In the Hands that I really like. The sincerity and spontaneity that seems to be a constant in his Banharts songwriting and recording technique for one. On the other hand I’m getting a bit tired of his rather one-sided folk approach about 8-9 songs in. It’s a fine record but I have no idea why it should appear on this list.
I'm a big fan of the folk genre. Some of my favorite artists of all time have turned something so simple into something beautiful. Thinking of Elliott Smith, Sufjan Stevens, Nick Drake. Now I'm not at all expecting Devandra Banhart to be in that level, the only thing that I hoped for, was he took his own spin on things. And that he very much did. I do actually like what this project brought to the table overall. His odd inflections, his incredible talent on classical guitar, and the mixing is good too. (Gotta love that background noise hiss). Lyrics-wise he seems to speak almost in tongues, with vivid imagery of what I could only describe as something out of an ancient greek novel. Although his vocal style, which is quite hard to ignore, doesn't always shine through in the best of ways. Like sometimes he reminds me of Jeff Buckley, and then the next song reminds me of Yoko Ono. Between the cursive singing and the screeches and yelps, it often breaks that soft touch that I really love about listening to folk. But who knows, maybe it'll grow on me a little more over time. 7/10
this is very interesting, but not big on folk
Ok, folksy. Didn't really stand out.
I went back and forth on this one. One minute I thought it was quite good, then the next song would be terrible. Ultimately, I think there’s better folk music from this era. Not bad, but I will not revisit.
Some inspired moments but lost its way towards the end. Minimal in a good way though and had a touch of Villagers about it
I like this vibe. Folky.
Wasn’t really in the mood for this yesterday so figured I’d save it for later, I actually quite liked it today 3.5/5
Pretty ok, but a bit long winded at times
This is an album with no strong tracks. It’s flat, the singer’s got an annoying voice, and I really don’t understand its collective praise nor its inclusion here. The only saving grace is that none of the songs are really bad. They just are. Edit: Upon a second listening, I don't mind the first 6 songs, which are okay. The last 10 on the other hand...
I have long suspected that Devendra Banhart is not For Me, but "Insect Eyes" is a hell of a song
it ended about five minutes ago and I barely noticed
Devendra Banhart is one of those artists I feel I should know more about, but I tried listening to this album and couldn’t finish. I do like the feel of it, the softness of it, but it felt like a rough cut, like a better version of those songs were hiding somewhere.
more like 2 1/2
Psychedelic Folk - now there's a fabricated genre with a mysterious membership! This is folk, but nothing psychedelic about it. The vocals are good and I like the music. Some good guitar work on here, too.
Wasn’t sure on first listen, but second I got it more, great folk album good voice, just quite my personal taste to come back to this frequently but deserves its place on the list.
Fine indie-folk album. I used it as background music for working and did not find any outstanding moment in the album.
I got excited thinking this would be something weird and interesting after seeing that it was produced and published by Michael Gira of Swans, but it's literally just a default preset "acoustic guitar-man singing" album with some quirky lyrics. Nothing wrong with that, 3/5-worthy in fact, but a completely pointless slot on the list. Lacks that fully genuine magic that I hear from artists like Nick Drake and Bert Jansch. First half was better than the second - I can't lie, he kind of lost me once he started singing in Spanish. This album released in 2004, the book's first edition was released in 2005. Hey, it's hard to predict what albums will stick in the musical canon. Should have just went with a Swans pick instead, like come on dude, the reviews for something like "Soundtracks for the Blind" would have been so fun to read (the guy who adds that to the user-submitted albums will forever be known as the funniest man to ever live).
A solid acoustic collection of songs.
I'm not familiar with this album or artist, but my first impression as I listened to it was that I may have heard one of these songs on TV or in a movie at some point. As I kept listening to it, this album definitely sounded like a folk album from the aughts; Devandra's vocals are unique, and the stripped down instrumentation is well executed, creating a sound that's different, but still accessible. Overall, this album was pretty good. The vocals were nice, and the arrangements were really pleasant to listen to. The worst thing about it is that it didn't stand out to me. A few months from now, I'll probably have forgotten about this album, and when I see it in my history, the thing that'll stick out the most is that the artist was born in my hometown of Houston. I can't really understand why this album is on the list. Sure, it was well received when it came out, but that can be said about a lot of albums that aren't on the list. I wouldn't mind listening to it again, but there are just so many more folk albums that are worth my time more than this one is.
This is an interesting folk album. An easy but not boring listen. I liked this. I'd like to listen to it again on headphones while walking or something that would let me focus on it more. I think it's a bit more captivating vs being incredible.
Personally I liked this sound. But this doesn't need to be on this list and I wouldn't say this is required listening for anyone. So for that reason I'll go with a 3. Insect Eyes is a cool track.
Du indie folk on ne peut plus ordinaire. Je ne sais pas si mon mood affecte trop mon écoute, mais pour sûr en ce moment je ne suis pas tellement impressionné et je ne vois pas le but d'inclure cet album dans les 1001. 5/10
Really chill 3
Very nice (if a bit leftfield) modern folk. As much as I like the music, the vocal style doesn't do much for me. At times, it seems borderline silly to the point of distraction. I can't help but picture the stereotypical Williamsburg hipster of the early 2000s while listening. Tone down the vocals a bit and you'd have a very good album. Alternatively, go full experimental and really make it weird all around. 'Rejoicing in the Hands' is somewhere in between those extremes. The result is a ok album with some interesting peaks but not enough to really be memorable. There are better alt folk albums out there but it's not bad.
A discovery and a pleasant suprise. Understated vocals and guitar- good to listen to and I guess it would grow on you with repeated plays. Needs further exploration I guess.
simpa :) bas pasalo uz suncano jutro 3.5
Tää oli ihan jees! Folkimpaa osastoa kun ajattelin. 3/5
Ihan hyvä, tasainen 3/5.
Tää folkkis taas ei oikein napannu samalla tapaa. 3/5
I rather enjoyed this. It's different and kind of chill. The singer's vibrato was kind of weird but it wasn't excessive and didn't pull me out of the performance.
Pretty mediocre. Interesting voice and well jell of the guitar skills, but no really stand out tracks even on second listen. Reading the reviews don't really understand how it's a cult classic. Maybe another 20 listens would be required...
Soothing and acoustic, matches the store atmosphere but not a personal favorite. 3/5
Not exactly my vibe but a nice listen
Don’t see the point in this at all
She sounds as if she had a lot of fun recording
this is the way- this is the soup. facts. 5 if im not sure what to make of it. a sight to behold- boring. 4 the body breaks- is this the whole album.............. fellas im not sure i can do this. 4 poughkeepsie- 4 dogs they make up the dark- 4 or 5 will is my friend- good for you. 3 this beard is for siobhan- 5 see saw- 2 tit smoking in the temple of artesan mimicry- 3 rejoicing in the hands- 7 i like this one no more
This one is kind of strange. Basically singer/songwriter folk music with some nice finger picked guitar. Some of the songs are pretty good and at times have an interesting otherworldly sound. The vocals are a problem for me, his delivery for the most part is fine for the material but at times it can get downright annoying. I may come back to this.
Sounded like the epitome of college radio music. Music was good but lyrics were weird. Enjoyed more than disliked.
Good folk album, good songs, some boring
Felt like Mumford and sons folk-kind of garbage but not unpleasant-3/5
A unique voice for indie rock at the mid point of the 2000s. I don’t think this is his best output. It’s certainly good but not up to what he’d later create. Great vocal melody mix well with the production to form a fine little piece of indie rock.
Dnf
2.6 listened 2x
Lots of interesting stuff in this album, even if he does frequently sound like Tyrannosaurus Rex era Marc Bolan, which is no bad thing, but as with Bolan's work, it can be a little hit and miss.
Relaxing indie vibes. 3.5
Enjoyable
Some very decent and some not too excited songs mixed in. It feels very Bob Dylan-esque with the poetic lyrics with tons of imagery. I enjoyed it for one listen, but may or may not come back to it. 6/10
eh. nothing great nothing bad. just dull, will never think about it again
New to me. Hot take: I loved this album. 🤣 I was expecting something much worse given the comments here, but it was lovely. Loved his voice and songwriting.
Not my preferred genre. There were a few good ones
Too indie, think campfire songs but I couldn’t make neither head nor tail out of what the music was
Poughkeepsie and the end of This Beard is for Siobhan ruuuuule
Some shades of Elliott Smith with a more folksy feel. His voice was okay, but not great, although it did fit well with the music. Musically, it was pretty mellow and melodic without having anything really stand out from the rest. A lot of it is if Simon & Garfunkel had ADHD and had written all of their stuff while tripping on acid. Or it is a mellow, acoustic Radiohead. I don't know.....something like that. "A Sight to Behold" "Insect Eyes" "Autumn's Child" and "Fall" were the best for me. "Tit Smoking...." was a nice instrumental. Would I listen to it again? Yes. Would I add it to a playlist? No.
Never listened to Devendra Banhart before... is was ok
Psychedelic folk... it's not bad, but it's nothing special. If i was laying in a field of flowers tripping on acid, I'm sure I'd love it. Enjoyable.
Very chilled
This is the Way - 2/5 A Sight to Behold - 4/5 The Body Breaks - 2/5 Poughkeepsie - 2/5 Dogs They Make Up - 3/5, really like the music, but the vocals still suck Will is My Friend - 2/5 This Beard - 1/5 See Saw - 1/5 Tit Smoking - 4/5 Rejoicing in the Hands - 2/5 Fall - 4/5 Todo Los Dolores - 1/5 When the Sun Shone - 3/5 There was the Sun - 3/5 Insect Eyes - 3/5 Autumn's Child - 2/5
It’s a pleasant enough listen but not a lot feels memorable
That was not what I expected it to be. Weird, haunting, beautiful... it was all over the place. But I was really into it... for about half of the album. Then it got truly weird. In a not so great way. More in a "Devendra has lost the plot and is spinning out of control" way.
Soft and atmospheric, nice voice, but not quite enough for me.
Very weird. Not entirely good and not entirely bad. Just weird.
Enjoyable but not my favorite of Banhart's
Devendra Banhart has often been a frustrating listen to me, but hitherto I haven't been able to articulate why. I think I've got it now. For all his adroitness with pretty, sometimes beautiful, song craft, there's little stickability afterwards. I can mentally coo over the dainty curlicues of his sound, but nothing haunts me later on. The hushed, reverential tone of this album perfectly suits Banhart's voice (again, quite lovely) but it evaporates from the brainpan almost immediately after a good listen. Interesting to hear the influence of American Primitive guitar players on his sound though.
Really great for the first four or five songs...then it got weird! Sometimes in an interesting way, sometimes not. Overall a good listen if you are in the right type of mood.
Pleasant to listen to but I could have been listening to the same track 13 times. Nothing really outstanding to brag about here
New to me, and definitely interesting. Betrays some of the typical sins of this kind of super indie auteur post-folk... introspective past the point of obscurity, minimalist to the point of monotony, vocals idiosyncratic to a fault. I'd give this artist more tries nonetheless.
It's that patchouli-scented guy you knew from college. Not a bad album
Neo-Donovan type stuff. Floats over leaves little impact.
Hef heyrt þessa nokkrum sinnum áður. Ekki alveg mín tónlist, en samt áheyrilegt. Hef ekkert á móti þessu í bakgrunni. Tæpur þristur.
An intriguing album to rate - there's a lot that works well here and the stripped back approach to the songs allows them to breathe - but it is certainly music that requires approaching in the right mood and it won't always be on heavy rotation.
bien ! 7.5
Knew the name but not the sound. It sounds very quirky-noughties-folk (and to be fair, given the release date, it probably helped originate that whole scene). I like it. The 16 tracks rattle along at a decent pace, not lingering on ideas long enough to get stale, but equally they all clearly belong together as part of the same rustic musical landscape. I’m struggling to choose any standout tracks, but I think that’s because they’re all pretty consistent. 3.5
Having never heard of this band didn’t know what to expect. The music was ok but like Fleet Foxes, a whole album of it was maybe a bit much?
All new to me, and overall, I like it. It's approachable yet different.
Yea, nice
Never heard this before - interesting!
l'album en somme est bon, belle musique et arrangement. Mais c'est sur la meme ligne tout le long, pas beaucoup de haut mais une bonne moyenne. 3.5
Enjoyed the classical guitar work and the lyrics but vocals felt very forced.
Decent...I general like folk like this, so it was enjoyable. Just nothing that blows your socks off. 2.5/5
Do you like folk? If not, then this probably isn't for you.
I’ve been listening to his album “What Will We Be” for years and hadn’t heard this album. His vocal style isn’t fully fledged yet on it, and it is annoying how inconsistent it is from song to song.
Pleasant enough, background music for me though.
It’s alright acoustic music.his voice is fine.The lyrics are a bit odd but besides that it’s not very memorable at all.Nothing to hate.Nothing to love .
Ngl I kinda powered through this since I’m trying to catch up. Fairly sleepy one for me, nothing that really grabbed me but nothing offensive either.
Slightly better than run of the mill ambient folk. A nice listen overall, had some interesting instrumental passages, but fuck the vocals grated me good. It's unfortunate that C-grade indi vocalists (@every triple J singer songwriter) have adopted the put upon twang/hipster inflections exemplified in this, as the vocal style may have been less off-putting otherwise. Fav track: Will is my friend Weak 3/5
weird and interesting, 3 stars.
I know I've heard Devandra Banhart before, the voice is distinct, but I didn't recognize any of the tracks on Rejoicing In The Hands. Most of the tracks were okay or better, but there were a few tracks that I'd be happy to listen to only once ("Poughkeepsie", "See Saw", "When the Sun Shone on Vetiver"). Those tracks got me to take a mental pause in my listening, but not in a good way. I would still be interested in hearing more from the artist, because there are elements that I liked, but I don't think I'd come back to the album as a whole.
I've heard this name before. Probably heard him a bunch of times on KEXP or something. This was alright. Kind of unremarkable, spacey indie folk. Not sure how it ended up on this list. Didn't dislike it though.
Not bad, Boring at times 3
Hmmmm, this didn't quite hit the spot for me, although I like plenty of stuff that's adjacent to it. I think I prefer this kinda thing to be a touch more dreamy, maybe? Fave track - "Todo los Dolores" maybe? Individual tracks didn't stand out too much...
first listen great stuff but gets slow at times
Big fan- Ben Howard vibes, would hear again
Weird stuff
Good
i dunno it's fine
3.5/5 I liked this album. It felt kinda folksy, but it was a little too repetitive. Every song sounded very similar had the same vibe etc. It would be nice chill music for making breakfast to on a weekend again.
This was okay background music although not quite what I was expecting. He did warble a lot more than I enjoy and it seemed pretty one note. NOT one to revisit.
This was like the quintessential folk/alt sound of the early 2000s
I kind of liked it but fairly dull overall. I can imagine it being quite nice if you were sitting in campsite with a nice beer.
“Rejoicing in the Hands”, Banhart’s second album, is a sparse collection of alternative folk, labelled as “freak folk” by various critics and fans because of his quivering whispered vocals and off-kilter lyricism. Banhart himself rejected most forms of categorisation and wished not to be pigeonholed, allowing the album and his persona to gather their own freewheeling mystique. At its best, it has the feel of ancient folk songs carved out of cave walls, rings in fallen trees, frozen waterfalls. It’s vast yet intimate, otherworldly yet cozy. For just as much of it, it simply sounds like a subpar demo from someone mucking around in their bedroom. Almost every track consists solely of Banhart’s vocal and his own acoustic guitar accompaniment. It’s a rough and raw approach which is very risky: either it falls down completely after four songs or the performer has enough charisma and skill to have an audience hanging from their every word. Banhart is somewhere in between. There’s something very enticing about his songwriting: it’s enigmatic, evasive and often darkly strange. There’s a real poeticism at play: direct and unadorned in the rueful “The Body Breaks”, dark and veiled in “Insect Eyes”, dense and surreal in “Poughkeepsie” (ending with a stuttering list of Elvis songs). It’s well served by competent finger-picked guitar, though some more variety in the instrumentals would have been appreciated. The tracks where the instrumentation is a little more varied happen to also be some of the best: “Will Is My Friend” introduces some twinkling piano until it practically aches with an innocent yearning. Gentle percussion in “Fall” lends a hypnotic feel to get completely lost in. Folk hero Vashti Bunyan makes an appearance in the title track to double up on the vocals. And “Autumn’s Child”, at the end, is heartbreaking in its simplicity on piano. Gently enticing, softly stirring, faintly memorable… it passes by like an airy dream. When it’s done, it’s hard to recall many details, but there’s a feeling of vague contentment and peace.
Find ich gut!
This was a really lovely listen. It feels some eccentric folk album from the late 60s, but still quite fresh. I think the brevity of a lot of the songs really helps keep the album flowing nicely. Banhart's vocal style is a bit of an acquired taste, but suits his songs well. Meanders a bit. Fave Songs: A Sight to Behold, There Was Sun, Fall, Insect Eyes, Autumn's Child, Tit Smoking in the Temple of Artesan Mimicry, Rejoicing in the Hands, The Body Breaks
Pretty generic acoustic guitar music.
Pretty good. Inoffensive folk. Not sure why it is on this list tho. Wait… they’re from the UK! Seems as though any UK artist is automatically included.
Primer album de country, lírico. Posta con una pepa flasheas estar en Texas o en un desierto de California
Un dels discos més importants de l'anomenat 'indie folk', una corrent que es va posar molt de moda a mitjans de la primera década del segle. Gran part de l'éxit del génere es deu als treballs de Devendra, i aquest passa per ser el millor, tot i que jo sempre he preferit el seu posterior 'Cripple Crow'. Sona una mica desgastat i passat en el temps, però continua conservant alguns moments interessants i, sobretot, el toc nostàlgic d'aquells temps
Thought I'd hate it. Didn't hate it.
Who is this album for? Me. And while it has flaws, overall I really enjoyed it. Nice and mellow, good guitars, unique voice.
Interesting album, I enjoyed it quite a bit. I'm surprised I haven't heard this before, Listening to a lot of neutral Milk Hotel and the Decemberists plays a lot of indie folk after the albums are done.
I prefer latter day Banhart that is not stripped down low-fi folk like most of this album is. For example check out Sea Horse from his 2007 album Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon which features multiple instruments with lovely Brubeck-esque jazz/waltz time signatures. Or the playful Never seen such good things from his 2013 album Maia. The fella has real talent and can write beautiful songs, but on this album it's often just him and a guitar so its very bare bones. I get some Cocorosie, Joanna Newsome and Sufjan Stevens vibes here but ultimately this record is a light snack that's not very satisfying. The exception is the last song, Autumn's Child which is really lovely and somewhat redeems this album.
Acoustic Folk Rock from 2004. It starts strong and continues throughout. Never heard of him before and I'm glad this album made this list so I got the chance to hear it. It is definitely something I would really love to hear more of it in the future. Single: Sight To Behold Standouts: This is the Way, Sight to Behold, The Body Breaks, Poughkeepsie, Others: This Beard Is for Siobhán, Rejoicing in the Hands Overall: 3/5
So OK, I "get" the feeling of grassroots-folk authenticity this sort of record can provide to listeners who might have a knack for moody, melancholic pieces. But the price to pay here, the unshakable feeling that *all* those droning songs sound very samey in the end, is a little too high, maybe. I don't hold a grudge against the artist, just doing his thing here. But the critics who raved about him during the early naughts seemed to have turned a blind eye to the obvious limitations of what it was that he was *actually* doing: mostly a sort of barebones psychedelic folk thing not harmonious enough to serve as decent background music, and, very unfortunately, churning out tunes that are not layered and memorable enough to catch your attention for more than three songs in a row either. A lose-lose situation, if you can get my meaning here... Only 15 persons or so on the app thought this record was an absolute keeper and gave it a 5/5 grade. That doesn't *necessarily* mean they're wrong (this music is *not* horrible). The thing is, if you want to select an example of outlier, off-kilter folk tunes, The Incredible String Band were probably more interesting and adventurous than Devendra Banhart ever was, even though that earlier band received an even lower grade than him. Sometimes you need to pick a side. The Incredible Strings Band were too original to be labelled as "background music". Devendra Banhart's intent is not so clear, comparatively speaking... Number of albums left to review: 697 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 149 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 71 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 84 (including this one)
A lot of this album was rather strange. The guy either sings in an annoying baby voice, or wails atonally. The lyrics are mostly nonsense. However I did enjoy the actual music behind the singing, which was creative and different.
Never heard of this guy before. Reminded me a bit of José Gonzalez in parts. Quite enjoyed it. Thought the opening few tracks were the best.
Expected Cripple Crow instead of this album. Banhart, Coco Rosie, Anthony, Joanna N etc were very popular 15-20 years ago. More of a challenge to listen to most of these artists these days - songs are still strong but somehow the mannered way of singing and lyrics have become more annoying. However, back in 2005 I really liked Cripple Crow and bought Rejoicing on the strength of CC. There are good songs on it, one was used in a horror movie, so will give it a 3, but overall it is a bit hit and miss and vocal style is "on the edge".
Not bad. I liked the acoustic guitar playing very much, as well as the minimal additional instrumentation. Banhart's vocals are interesting, but I can't say I am really enjoying them.
You know, at first I felt this was a good change of pace from the other stuff we had listened to. But then everything started to get to be very much the same after the fifth song. There wasn't a lot of variation until maybe "This Beard Is For Siobahn". Which was good, but very repetitive, I thought. And "Insect Eyes" was just creepy. Such sparse instrumentation, I have to wonder how this would be with a full band, perhaps more like Dave Matthews Band? Is that a good or a bad thing? So if I had this on shuffle on my computer and a song came on, I'd be like "ah, cool." But listening to the whole album became a bit tedious. Good in small doses, but not the whole album at once.
A little bit weird, but it grew on me quite a bit. I was busy and didn't have the time to carefully listen or comment, so I just kept restarting the album and it was pleasant in the background. Nice soft picking and plucking and vocals. I can see how it's not for everyone (lyrics or themes especially) and even I'm not yet scrambling to go listen to more of his stuff. So not a stand out album but it's definitely something different worth listening to if you wouldn't normally. Good inclusion on this list. Favorite songs were This is the Way, The Body Breaks, Poughkeepsie (almost a Days of the New flavor to it), Will is My Friend, and Todo Los Dolores.
It was pretty nice, that’s about it.
Fine folk thing
This is fine ‘I’m a quirky guy with a small guitar singing about whatever’ not sure why it is here?
Alright folk album, weird lyrics, ok vibes
good grade of odd job. brings something a bit different to the 'man with acoustic guitar' genre which is fairly difficult thing to achieve. the standard feeling when you hear some fella with an acoustic guitar is to ask 'shall we go somewhere else?' however we all know 'Fell just like a child' ist the only devendra banhart track worth listening to and its not on this album.
As someone who likes listening to music whilst I flick grapes into the open minge of my obese wife, I can confidently say that Devendra Banhart improves the experience tenfold. She came in under seven minutes. A new record for us.
👾
Actually quite good - little bits were very T-Rex glam singer-songwriter guitar rock. Easy listening. Pleasnt, lyrical. Dipped at points but basically good
favourite song: this is the way least favourtie song: poughkeepsie started really well but dropped off in qualoty quickly
Enjoyed way more than expected initially but I have to say: this record is totally a gamble. Some songs are good but some others are real stinkers. It certainly starts strong but falters later. First Listen?: Y Fav. Track(s): A Sight To Behold, Will Is My Friend, This Beard Is For Siobhan Rating: 3/5
3.5/5
Clima bom pelo acústico bem executado.
Typical of the indie folk thing that was going around at the time. I'm not sure this is the best representative of the genre. Best track: Todo (sic) Los Dolores
I can see why you might pick this album to be on the list. Maybe if I listened to it a million times when I was younger it would resonate with me. But on a first listen now it seems mediocre. I may listen to it more and see if grows on me. and maybe not...
No guts, no glory.
I want to give this more, but ultimately I'm just bored here.
A nice listen. Not the liveliest of albums and some of the tracks sound just like the rest, with the standout tracks being at the very beginning and end of the album. A new artist to me, recognised one of the songs from the movie Eagle vs Shark, and will give him a try again
I like the tone of this album. I like the singer/songwriter with the guitar picking lovely and inventive sequences of notes. The quivering voice is a little hard to get used to. I know who some of Devendra's inspirations are and I would like him better if he were to follow more in their footsteps, delving deeper into the philosophical and life's hidden mysterious things. I enjoyed the album though, it was a pleasant surprise. I will listen to the song Rejoicing In The Hands again, it was good!
Really like it. I would like to hear this again soon! 3/5
It's pretty decent. Too long tho, and no song here is as good as shampoo shalom
Very interesting and different than what I expected. Probably won’t listen again but I’ll remember the uniqueness of it.
Poor man's Marc Bolan. His middle name Obi takes after Obi-Wan Kenobi 😂
A really nice album. Found it to be quite interesting. High 3 star.
Mostly decent. Becomes a bit boring after a while. A generous 3
Thanks Devendra, I'd only ever really heard the 'come out a crab cake' song before this.
A really lovely vibe, was just what was needed for a Sunday family board game soundtrack
Standout Track: When the Sun Shone on Vetiver
Gut, aber trifft nicht genau meinen Songwriter-Geschmack
A beautiful album just not sure it's for me. High level songwriting, sweet melodies. Will play this more than once and see where it leads me. 3.5 🌟
I respect albums like this, clear personal statements. Most folk on the list is either pop-oriented or very clearly part of a tradition; This is neither unless you look at hippiedom as the latter. Many tunes seem cut short, but Insect Eyes proves he can do multi-part work. It's charming, but I'm bearish on that fact. Folksy and charming, but lacking folksy charm, y'know?
Wel mooi maar beetje slappe singer songwriter gedoe
It's funny that sometimes, you can look at an album cover - not knowing the artist or what the album will remotely be like and just pick the style of music that it will contain. Devendra Banhart's Rejoicing In The Hands definitely fits the bill for this. Overall the slow indie/folk vibe seems to be alright for popping on in the background, or would fit seamlessly into countless indie movies/TV shows from the early/mid 00s. Best: Insect Eyes Worst: When the Sun Shone on Vetiver
I enjoy the intense finger-picking moments very much, some great guitar playing on this album. Not crazy about the vocal performance. I understand that the shaky vocals are adding to the overall image of the album, but it's a bit jarring for me. Kind of ruins it if I'm being honest. Guitar-playing = 5/5 Vocals = 1.5/5 Fave tracks: This is the Way, Tit Smoking in the Temple of Artesan Mimicry
Another sad lyricist. Good but not great.
Meh
I don't love the vocals, but it is very much in keeping with the style of the genre. Songs are nice, I quite liked them. The earlier songs in the album were much better than the later ones - it ended up feeling like a dragged out collection 3/5
This is a very interesting album. Acoustic style eclectic music all throughout. I'm not sure this is for me, but it does pique the ol brain.
5/10 cool and relaxing but god does that voice get on my nerves.
Un album minimaliste pour Devendra, le chanteur se contentant de simples passes latérales et de plats du pied « sécurité ».
Je trouve comme mon camarade d'écoute robclairière que la ressemblance entre Devandra Bahnhof et Steve Savidan est frappante. J'ai notamment été très troublé par le ciseau acrobatique lancé par Devandra, qui ira trouver le fond des filets, similaire en tout point à celui inscrit par Steve Savidan dans les années 2000 (qui avait enflammé le Stade Malherbe de Caen on le rapelle)
Mjög kósí plata, lágstemmd og notaleg.
Not bad. Definitely worth another listen.