Rejoicing In The Hands

0/16 and I can confidently say this was the worst album I’ve ever listened to. Bless whoever gets this next

This reminds me of living in halls at university and having to endure the faux-hippy twat upstairs playing his guitar and ‘singing’ to try and impress girls. It should never have been committed to tape, let alone appear in the this list.

Siri, please find me better albums.. *Siri blinks* "I'm sorry, there are over one thousand albums in this list made in the UK so you will have some stinkers. Understood, thanks Siri.

It’s been a while since I listened to an album where I was praying that each track was the last one. First the good: His guitar playing is impressive and I really liked the instrumental track with the pretentious hipster name “Tit Smoking in the Temple of Artesan Mimicry.” Now the bad: This is the annoying kind of artsy shit that makes you want to listen to a Kiss album after it's over, even you don’t like Kiss. It's the bad kind of pretentious, not the good kind. That warble he kept adding to his voice just got more annoying as each track passed. The only thing that brought this up to 2 stars was the good mentioned above. I didn’t even give this one a second listen because I knew that the at best it would stay 2 stars but I might have just been annoyed enough to drop it down to 1.

I love the album cover, but have no clue what is in store. And after the first two songs I don’t have my bearings. I’m think I might be enjoying this - but I feel a little lost. Is this music from India? The songs hint of something exotic… or not? I’m not sure. I like the lyrics, and love the cracking and vibrato in the singer’s voice. By the time I get to “Poughkeepsie” I don’t feel any more grounded. When he starts listing Elvis songs I don’t know what to make of this. I feel like I may be in a parallel universe. This music is familiar and yet very alien. “Dogs They Make Up The Dark” happens and I don’t know if I like it or not. With “Will Is My My Friend” I’m sensing something really beautiful. But I still can’t bring it into focus. As I listen to “This Beard Is For Siobhan” I’m still unable to get a lock on this album or how I feel about it. I understand the words but this is really beyond me. Everything about this album feels just out of my reach. There’s something tantalizing and… amazing?… here, but I can’t quite grasp it. Nor can I walk away. The instrumental “Tit Smoking In The Temple Of Artesan Mimicry” happens then “Rejoicing In The Hands”… am I listening to something in the Asian tradition? As I listen to “Fall” I’m starting to think I need a guide. Did I say “Asian tradition” earlier? Here’s “Todo Los Delores”. The false start is enchanting. Who is Devendra Barnhart? What am I listening to? This album has affected me deeply. But it is also defying me. And I don’t know how I feel about it. “Insect Eyes” is really disconcerting. How can I be listening to a song and be so on the verge of love and hate at the same time?! As I listen I return to the cover art and it now feels soothing and sinister. “Autumn’s Child” is a dirge that draws me in while offering no satisfaction. The album ends. Listening to this was confounding, tantalizing, intriguing, maddening, soothing, familiar, alien. I am moved, repulsed, seduced, repelled and adrift. REJOICING IN THE HANDS confounds my effort to assign a score. It’s almost as if it has opened the door to a parallel universe. I have no idea if that is somewhere I want to be. Yet I am compelled to listen again… …on the second listen I really enjoyed this. Still not confident I know what this is all about, but I’m ready to take my little teeth out dancing and show them a real good time.

This album is a gem, really liked several songs. He’s got a cool voice, simple but solid guitar work, and some clever lyrics. Best one in quite a while

Devendra Obi Banhart - born in Texas. His first name was chosen by his parent’s guru and his middle name was from, you guessed it, Obi-Wan Kenobi. I can’t make this up. With this etymology, we have a quirky, artsy, original, intelligent singer - songwriter who sounds like an early days Tom Waits but sober.

I guess you either like his annoying voice or you don’t. I did

Loved the first few tracks, loved the last few tracks, but I got a bit bogged down in the middle. Overall, I like this Joanna Newsom-y kind of thing: a coffee shop guitar, quirky lyrics. The first lines and the last lines of the first song won me over right away and will be a hymn in my own personal church: "This is the soup that I believe in This is the smoke I'm always breathin' This is the way I share my breakfast ... Well we've known we've known We've had a choice We chose rejoice" I'm interested in hearing more from this guy.

I would say that folk is my primary genre that I listen to and to me this is a decent early 2000s folk album. But as far as early 2000s folk goes there are much more notable albums missing from this list. Sufjan Stevens' Michigan had come out about a year before this and his album Seven Swans came out a little over a month before. Iron and Wine had also just released Our Endless Numbered Days which belongs on this list as well. That all being said I think it's still a good album and I'm just being picky because it is my genre of choice. I think there is a good exploration of different instruments and playing styles without being overwhelming. Which is something more experimental folk musicians struggle to achieve.

I was on a streak of boring, medíocre albums, and this one made me miss them.

Production: 8/20 Songwriting: 7/20 Innovation: 7/20 Bangers: 0/20 Emotional response: 4/20 =26 I have nothing to say except this was booooooring

My jeans are not skinny enough, my shoes are not brown, I don't have a new wave pompadour and this album is one of the most annoyingly fucking terrible pieces of music I have heard. Rejoicing in Hands is unadoltorated hipster dog shit, now excuse, I want to finish my avocado toast and monkey cum coffee.

Not sure why this was included? Seems unremarkable. I didn’t like it. Was wishing it was over on the first song.

This is a lovely album of sparse eastern tinged folk music. Lyrics are poetic and sung in a light and personal manner, but with enough tension to keep me interested. In many ways, this reminds me of Marc Bolan's music in the late sixties with Tyrannosaurus Rex. The album is utterly charming and highly recommended.

Such a new and interesting sound that I actually listened to this album twice yesterday. Will be adding it to my rotation.

Oddball but honest - suffers a tinge of over-tweeness of the noughties but still a good record - at times haunting, at times delightful while being very well paced.

Fiona appleesqe, but with less feeling, and a man. Enjoyed it.

Absolutely gorgeous. I only wish it was longer. Not quite 5 stars, but a well-deserved 4.

Too much of the same whimsical acoustic guitar noodling. And 45 minutes of that ridiculous vocal..... nah!!

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.

Chilled and relaxing album that caught me on another mentally tender day. These sorts of simple acoustic folk albums always make me want to go venture into the nearest forest and go and immerse myself in nature, maybe befriend some wildlife, become a wendigo or something. I dunno. Either way this was a really pleasant album, and I think the beauty comes from the raw, somewhat unrefined nature of the album. This was just a nice and comfy folk album, and I appreciated it a lot. Favourite: Insect Eyes

I know I've listened to Devendra Banhart before, he's a very quirky folksy artist. I love his song "I Feel Just LIke a Child." This album definitely fits that mold. Great instrumentation and melodies. His vocal performances are strange, but still enjoyable. It's folk music on a few drugs. I enjoyed this, but didn't love it. Favorite tracks: A Sight to Behold, Insect Eyes, Dogs They Make Up the Dark. Album art: This one's really cool. The drawings seem simple, ancient, and kind of creepy. 3.5/5

It’s ok. Venezuelan singer songwriter, mostly solo guitar, but also some string arrangements. Mostly under 2.5 minutes. I didn’t hate it, so not gonna go below 3, but I’m not sure I’ll ever listen again to be honest. There’s some interesting poetry and guitar playing here and there, but nothing that great. The vocals kinda go back and forth between compelling and slightly off putting. The title track is legit great. I think I’m more of a fan of the more mystical, almost indigenous folk sounding tracks like Fall.

This is where I write my scathing review

Very enjoyable exotic sounding folky singer-songwriter album. In a way a pleasent mix of kiltro and nick drake. The soothing loose string guitar sound with the singer's crooning voice is simply a delicious meal for my ears. Wouldn't necessarily say it's as good Nick Drake or Kiltro, but still a big thumbs up. 8.7/10

I started off liking this a little. The first three tracks fit my mood for the day. It starts kinda sparse and sullen, with a pinch of melancholy. But then it just kept going.. and going. This isn't the longest album we've had -- not by a long shot -- but damned if it wasn't a chore. I think this guy's warbling voice gimmick quickly ran it's course with me. I love the movie "Eagle vs. Shark" and recognized the one track from it. That song fits the mood and tone of the movie, at that point IN the movie, perfectly. Congrats. But a whole album of this? Tiresome and tedious. Secondly, is this album 'essential'?? Absolutely and emphatically **NOT**. More filler from Dimery and co. I'm beginning to cement the idea in my mind that music from the mid-00s through the 10s is either a) categorically worse than the music that came before it (have we run out of ideas?) <or> b) I'm a grouchy old man who doesn't have the capacity to like anything newer than late 90s/early 00s stuff.. It's one of those two things. (2/5), but only because I'm trying to give this crap a chance.

Granted, I have never sold a single album but 24,000 feels light for a record to be considered a "must listen." Seems to be me like 24,000 in sales means very important people heard the album and recommended it. Then, those who heard Devendra Banhart's "Rejoicing in the Hands based on the recommendation of the important people decided the album was shit and didn't recommend "Rejoicing in the Hands" to anyone else. Listening to the album and it's kind of sleepy. It's not even appropriate freak-folk either, as this all sounds normal! I didn't really hate this and I don't really love it. I tried to listen really hard and determine why this album was included in the book. I think this is just not for me.

This is the way opens up the album in a boring folk way… ( actually I normally do track by track reviews but I’am not feeling it today so I’ll just sum up my feelings after I’ve herd the album). Okay so here we have a middle class poshie that tries to act all hipster by singing like an old man and spurting the strangest lyrics to some actually decently picked acoustic guitars. I personally believe that all of this combined makes quite a boring experience overall not providing much sonic verity across the tracklist ( all 16 songs!) And yeah even if the average length for a given song is around 2 minutes 16 songs feels like way too long and he should’ve honed in on around 10-12 of them extending their run time to improve the experience. But yeah I don’t think it’s dreadful no where near one of the worst albums ever but still a 2/5.

There is some outstanding guitar picking on this album. I usually will love an acoustic guitar like this. I enjoyed the instrumental track, which tells you about the rest of the album. Yeah, all of the good guitar bits are wasted on the cringiest song writing I’ve yet encountered on this project and we’ve had albums by Morrissey, 10cc, and The Happy Mondays. Also, I recoiled from whatever this dude was trying to do with his voice on most of the tracks. Overall, not a good album experience. 1/5

Torture

Odd

In theory I should enjoy this - acoustic folky vibe - however it's draab - Minor key central with weary vocals and lyrics...

gyah, this is a rough listen...repetitive, meandering, pointless plunking. no desire to keep listening.

Big no.

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

Loved it, a great new find, thx!

This album really wins you over. When it started, I was sure I wouldn't like it based off the singing alone. It should annoy me, but when Banhart does it it's relaxing in a way. His songs are really well arranged, and the guitar playing is great. By the end, I really loved it, what a surprising find

superb folk - one could pick each from his first 3 - 5 albums. Soothingly wise lyrics. Minimalist yet concentrated choice of Instruments. A coherent soul as core of this art.

What an album!! Devendra's guitar playing is phenomenal. His quick picking technique is awesome. This was an absolutely phenomenal album by an artist I'd never heard of before! Absolutely beautiful. Something like Hozier but Unplugged. I like the record hiss that you can hear through most of the album. I also like how he left all of the imperfections on the record. It gives it an almost intimate feeling to the album. Almost like Devendra is just sitting around a campfire, dabbling on the guitar for a small audience. Favourite songs: Fall, Insect Eyes, A Sight to Behold, This is the Way, Will Is My Friend, Dogs They Make Up The Dark, There Was The Sun, Todo Los Dolores, Rejoicing in the Hands, When the Sun Shone on Vetiver, Tit Smoking in the Temple of Artesan Mimicry Least favourite songs: Poughkeepsie, See Saw 5/5

The music here was so captivating. It took its hooks and snagged me, dragged me in and imprisoned me in its haunting beauty. Loved it.

I was not familiar with Devendra at all, and I was blown away. This is a set of tracks that really feels like a bedroom in the mid 2000s.

That was brilliant. Took me a little while to get on board with the singing but the slightly mathy riffs/timing is right up my street. Poughkeepsie, there was the sun and insect eyes stood out on first listen.

Nice to get an album I know and love. This is the Way is a favorite song of mine. Like lots of great poetry, Banhart’s lyrics lie somewhere between nonsense and profundity. And his heavy vibrato voice delivers them perfectly. The fingerpicking isn’t overly complicated, but the songs don’t fall into folkie cliches. Eccentric and whimsical like listening to a familiar stranger play songs by the fire.

so good

Devendras music has always been close to my heart

Acoustic croony tallest man on earth esque

Great folky album

It was good for just being different from a lot of the stuff I've heard recently. I like the chill acoustic vibe, soft lyrics. I liked it. 4/5.

I get why the quirkiness can put people off. However, I find it very enjoyable and fun, at times very pretty, calming, mysterious, peaceful, weird, interesting. With a nice cameo from Vashti Bunyan. Reminds me of sunny summer days sitting in the grass. Love this album.

Shocked how intrigued I was with this album having never heard of him. Uber creative and mesmerizing guitar work. Quite impressive. Pretty raw production quality but it works.

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

Rejoicing in the Hands One of those artists I’m very aware of but have never actively listened to, so nice to give an album a go. I like its sparseness and kind of outsider art feel, like someone who isn’t aware of musical conventions and starts writing and performing folk songs. But at the same time he’s obviously very talented and steeped in all sorts of folk music as well as Indian and blues too. I think it takes a lot of thought and skill to get the balance of innocence and familiarity right and conjure those feelings of outsider primitivism. His voice probably does help carry that feeling too, and I can imagine it’s a bit marmite for some people, like Joanna Newsome, but I like it a lot, it does suit the songs and style of the songs really well. However It does also feel quite long, even if it’s only 42 minutes with relatively short songs. Maybe it’s that there are 16 songs that makes it feel that way, as though it loses a bit of focus by having so many songs. There are some great songs, particularly the first half; This is the Way and a Sight To Behold are a great opening pair, The almost gallic The Body Breaks is great, I love the eastern tinged, slightly wonky and odd Poughkeepsie and the short but sweet Dogs They Make Up in Dark is really good. After that Rejoicing in the Hands has a lovely almost Incredible String Band feel, and I like the injection of the lively rhythm of Fall, and I love the ethereal slide on When the Sun Shines on Vetiver, There Was the Sun has strong echoes Nothing in the World by The Kinks nicely. Overall, despite the great songs it does feel a bit wooly and the dip in the middle does affect it. Right on the cusp of 3 and 4, I’ll go 4 for the highlights 🙌🙌🙌🙌 Playlist submission: Poughkeepsie.

A cool, weird, unapologetic, transparent album. You feel like you’re in the room with him making this album as he taps into the all the mysticism he can muster from around him. Sometimes prophetic, sometimes silly, always strange.

That album went by quick! I have always kind of been on the fence about Devendra Banhart. It's good music in the right setting and the right mood. This is easily his best record, and I really enjoyed it this morning.

It turns out that I have mixed feelings about Devendra Banhart's oeuvre as I imagine it to be more than as it actually is. I've always associated him with Joanna Newsom and that SF freak-folk thing which I both like and dislike. Of course, I've learned over time that there's a lot more to his music than just that. Taking his records one at a time has been instructive, and this particular album I find thoroughly enjoyable and affecting. Could have been a surprise 5 stars today, if not for a little too long. Still impressively better than expected.

A timely toych of winter melancholy to suit the season. This kind of low(ish) fi singer songwriter stuff will always work for me growing up on a healthy diet of Elliott Smith. Te strange elements of vaudeville, the beautiful guitar flourishes and the emphasis on the corporeal in the lyrics really set this one apart. DBs voice was maybe pushed a little far at times, and it threatens to sink into twee on many occasions, but I was won over. Fave track: Will Is My Friend

Okay, based on the description as "psychedelic folk" I had very low expectations, but this was a great Friday album. It's actually the exact flavor of "folk" that I can get into; reminds me a little of Sondre Lerche or even Damian Rice. I was pleasantly surprised.

Unique and a little weird, but cool album

After getting a bunch of albums that were mediocre or worse, I have finally stumbled on an album that I think is really interesting. I not big on folk music, but there is something really compelling about this album. The production is great, bringing out the great qualities of his voice and fitting them perfectly with the guitar. The songs are consistently good, and they are variable enough in their structure that the album was able to keep my attention all the way through 4/5

Pretty good mid-2000's indie folk. Well produced, great vocals, though it doesn't push many boundaries. The first few songs are great, but the album does fade away and I found myself losing interest by the end.

3rd listen: first two times I gave 3/5 and 3/5. This is the reason for this list: To introduce new albums that we would have never heard of. This is a gem. I'm very grateful to this 1001 project to bring this to my attention. After listening this time, I realized how much I love the album. Standouts (Just about every song!): This is the Way, A Sight to Behold, The Body Breaks, Poughkeepsie, Dogs They Make Up the Dark, This Beard is for Siobhan, See Saw, Todos los Dolores, Insect Eyes 4.5/5

This was great! Finding someone like this that I never heard of is what I was hoping for with this list. Easy 4 stars and could go to 4.5 on repeated listens

00s album, they only keep 3-4 per year in the book so can't read the write up. Never listened to these at the time. Heard various artists I respect saying it was good, just never got around to it. I guess I was listening to Devotchka instead. With that and Devo, that was the allocation for DEV taken up. A really gentle, indie folk album which was perfect for a Sunday afternoon. Lovely finger picking guitar. His voice and singing style strays occasionally towards the annoying, but mostly stays on the right side of that particular boundary. It's also crucially not sad indie folk, which seemed to be everywhere at the time. Some of it is good but too much was definitely a bad thing. Sufjan Stevens being the most obvious example of the good. I think I'll listen to this again in quiet moments.

This would have fit nicely into the late 60s psychedelic scene. His voice reminds of someone, but I can’t put my finger on who – some reviewer compared him to Nick Drake (who Spotify sent me three times after the last song) but I disagree, other than the fact they are both solo singer-songwriters, playing acoustic guitars. The closest I can think of is Tim Buckley or maybe Ray Davies on a ballad like Sunny Afternoon – but weirder of course. Still it’s very original and interesting material, especially for 2004 and kudos go out to all the people who got this out there. The songwriting is the weak link for me, but with 16 songs sung unaccompanied on solo guitar, I’m not expecting more than a handful to really resonate and songs like A Sight to Behold and Insect Eyes I will definitely listen to again. Between a 3 and 4 for me.

Very familiar with more recent DB records but I’ve never listened to this one before. Really enjoyed it, I think this style can often sound familiar or samey, but he manages to keep it interesting with his sound and lyrics. Mostly folky, sometimes lo-fi-y, always bordering strangeness. Most of this album wouldn’t be amiss on a Wes Anderson film, or pretty much any mid-2010s indie film.

Reminds me a lot of the Tallest Man on Earth. I loved just about every one of these tracks, especially Todos los Dolores and Insect Eyes. Eager to check out more Devendra. This is the kind of stuff I started this project for! I think if I were in a better mood I would go full 5 for this, but I'm cranky today and wasn't able to get as into it as I know I would other times

Plaintive and less “freak folk” than I remember—but still a singular statement

This was new to me, so we'll see how it holds up to repeated listens. For now, I'm really into it.

This is a very beautiful album. Banhart's singing is quite unique. The hollow/echo-y recording of the instruments really compliments it well and the combination really creates a dreamlike atmosphere. The way the instruments are recorded kind of reminds me of Blonde on Blonde. The songwriting is also good, enough variety to not get tedious over the 40 minutes of the album, yet maintains a consistent sound throughout. This album seems to have been slightly ahead of the current indie folk wave, Fall sounds like it could be an Alt-J song, also evokes Tallest Man on Earth and Fleet Foxes. Although I wouldn't call it groundbreaking given the long history this sound has. Overall, very much enjoyed, not excellent, but would definitely listen again. Fav Tracks: A Sight to Behold, This Beard is For Siobhan, When The Sun Shone on Vetiever

An album that I could kind of tell what it sounded like, but not how much I would enjoy it. It's a little trippy, little weird. The first track had me worried I'd hate it, but the record really grew on me. For some reason, paints a vivid picture of hanging on someone's outdoor porch in the dead of summer: it's hot, sticky, warm, but the conversation is too interesting to really care. Favorite tracks: "The Body Breaks", "Will Is My Friend", "Fall"

Imagine my surprise when halfway through 'Rejoicing In The Hands' I googled a pic of Devendra Banhart and… well, let’s just say it was not what I expected at all! I have a good friend (the very one who introduced me to this 1001 LP exercise) who does not appreciate any, and I mean any, pre-knowledge or references to movies he has not yet seen, preferring to experience it himself before entering into a discussion about its meaning. So in the event that he has not had the opportunity to listen to this LP, I don’t want to spoil it for him, or for any of the rest of you. Devendra Banhart, I believe, was born out of time. The arrangement and performance of the songs on 'Rejoicing In The Hands' are minimalist, mostly fingerpicking guitar ala 1960’s folk music, and a handful with an almost early 20th century American ragtime style. Many of the recordings have the sound and feel of live one-takers, captured in a tiny club right before closing, the permeating odor of stale beer and cigarette smoke that hangs in the air mingling with the unrealized desires of the three separate, remaining patrons. Nobody will be going home with anyone, or worse, with the one they didn’t really want in the first place at the beginning of the evening. Devendra’s vocals sound as if Devendra is familiar with this kind of longing; but, also, mercifully, with love. Both hurting and healing may be found in these songs. And sung in a voice that has learned to embrace and endure rather than avoid and deny life’s painful situations. The genre itself has been variously described as freak folk, new weird America (never heard that one), trippy-hippie tone poetry, ashram-appropriate (that one cracks me up.) I like the New York Times’ take on the whole thing: ‘free associative,’ meaning ‘the mental process by which one word or image may spontaneously suggest another without any apparent connection.’ Here’s an example to support that from the second to the last song on the LP: ‘And each strand of… hair is really insect eyes.’ Or the unexplainable (to me, at least) Elvis songs referenced at the end of ‘Poughkeepsie.’ How about this title for free association, the LP’s sole instrumental, ‘Tit Smoking in the Temple of Artesan Mimicry.’ I’m guessing Sigmund Freud, the deviser of the free association technique used in psychoanalysis, would have a field day with this one! All this is to say that it’s probably pointless to spend much time here analyzing Devendra’s lyrics- who knows if I’d hit or miss, or if it matters, or even if there’s a target at all? I did pick up, however, on an awful lot of references to the sun, which seems to shine through the darker places pervading this LP. There was a particularly lovely lyric on ‘The Body Breaks’ that represents this hope amidst the heartache. Following a lot of talk about the body breaking and aching, and that both you and I will get over it eventually, Devendra concludes: ‘The body stays And then the body moves on And I’d really rather not dwell When yours will be gone But within the dark There is a shine One tiny spark That’s yours and mine.’ I can only imagine the experience of listening to 'Rejoicing In The Hands' while backpacking, alone, up in the mountains, enduring the cold and darkness of the wee hours of the morning until finally the warmth of the sun's rays make their first appearance, the daily resurrection of light that the darkness cannot fully overcome. We are alive, thankfully in the Sun’s hands, rejoicing.

I am not positive that I am a fan, but I am going to keep the album in my library at least for a few more listens. There were definitely moments I really enjoyed and others where the music was just there.

Very unique. A wholly new genera for me. Really liked it. Would def listen to again.

Very relaxing and chill album. Great acoustic guitar and vocals. Good intro to Devendra Banhart, he's got some other really cool music, I'll definitely be adding to my rotation. Highlights: -This is the Way -When the Sun Shone on Vetiver -This Beard Is for Siobhan -Insect Eyes

Released in 2004, this album is categorized as New Weird America, Psychedelic Folk or Freak Folk. It's produced by Michael Gira from Swans. The songs are in a non traditional style with strange lyrics sung in a strange voice. Some sound a bit like children's songs. I appreciate his guitar playing. He's good. The songs are numerous, vary a bit and short which is good for keeping my attention. I like it because it's interesting. Top songs are A Sight to Behold, Rejoicing_in_the_Hands, Fall and Insect Eyes.

This is nice - not much more than nice, but nice is nice

This wasn’t bad, but I struggled to connect to it. I remember Devendra Banhart’s name being floated around the hipster circles back in the mid-aughts, and I guess I’m finally getting the chance to see what all the fuss was about. I’m not sure I understand exactly why this was guy was an indie darling at the time other than a lot of indie stuff at the time skewed folksy. Like I said, I’m not sure I get what the big deal is here. He’s not really doing much that Sufjan Stevens wasn’t already doing better at the time. It’s fine, but nothing to write home about. 6.5/10

Gentle and strange, it feels like an old diary left out in the rain. The melodies are sweet but slightly off-kilter. Reminds me of early Iron & Wine, but rawer, with more frayed edges. It’s all very quiet, yet it feels alive.

This album feels like it should be on this list if it would've been shorter, better mixed, quality in fewer songs and those with a bit more instrumentation. It all sounds like Joker's Daughter covering Leonard Cohen. But whereas Cohen could carry his songs with guitar and help from musicians, but even more his lyrics, this is all a bit too fuzzy.

I like the elements of mysticism laced throughout, and initially I enjoyed Devendra's crooning voice - but I have to admit it ended up grinding on me around halfway into the album, notably when the instrumentation swelled and the backing vocals made the production feel messy. The guitar work is genuinely very enjoyable though, it bumps the album from a 2 to a 3 for me.

I am pretty sure I would find Banhart completely insufferable if I met him in real life. But for the duration of Rejoicing In The Hands, the quirkiness is interesting enough, although a bit too navel-gazing at times. There's also some charm in keeping in obvious guitar mistakes in the final recording.

My expectations were low for this record, as I remember the Pitchfork hype around Devendra Barnhart back in the aughts. It’s not as bad as I was anticipating; a decent left-field folk that probably sounded more ahead of its time when it was released than it does today.

Amongst the likes of Sufjan Stevens and Bon Iver in the folksy singer/songwriter scene, Devendra Banhart is a name that stands out. Haven't heard of him before but his delicate playing and storytelling can hang with the rest of 'em. He's sweet and sour at the same time, evoking bittersweet feelings of autumn days with only his guitar and voice. It's vaguely evocative of the more tender parts of Fleetwood Mac's "Rumors", while still remaining distinct. On a sleepy weekday morning, Devendra Banhart is a perfect way to appreciate the time.

Half the album was pretty decent. Kinda reminds me of Sondre Lerche (Dan in Real Life)

6. Rejoicing In The Hands - Devendra Banhart (2004) 9.26.26 Variety: 1 Adequacy: 3 Listenability: 2 Uniqueness: 1 Emotionality: 1 = 1.6 rounded up to a 2 "And the breast on her chest is where I take my rest/ Is where I have my fun/ Is where I have my fun/ Mm hmm hmm hmm" To my knowledge I've never heard more than a snippet of this guy's music. I've always gotten strong modern hippie vibes off of him ( I've made my loathing of the whole hippie vibe apparent on previous reviews. Theoretically, given my social and poitical views you would thing I would align quite well with this worldview, but alas, no - I find the culty, shiftless, hedonistic stuff to be gross and offputting in the extreme) which doesn't make for a good starting off spot. Strike number two is that he ( along with Suftjan Stevens, who I have similar issues with) has been a favorite amongst several people I know who I will not describe otherwise except to say they have very untrustworthy taste. Strike number three is that not only do I get hippie vibes off of him, even worse is those vibes are of the crunchy granola, yoga mat, man-bun variety. Going completely out on a limb here, he gives the vibe of someone raised in a weird culty southern California commune/ sect, and probably has failed actor parents who sent him to the school from Billy Jack. (Edit: had to look this up, and based on what little info I could find his mother was a model, and the family did follow some spiritual guru. However he's from Texas originally and only later moved to California. But still - pretty good guesses, right?). All this said, I usually like to go into an album giving the artist the benefit of the doubt. Someone in my group suggest that I likely start at a 4, and would agree with that. These albums made the cut, as subjective as it was, so there are apparently a lot of people who see the artistic merit. Then, depending on how things go they can move up or down that ladder as I listen. Let's see if I can clear my mind of all preconceived notions, remove myself from the earthly plane, focus on my mantra ,and open up my third eye to make myself receptive to some more positive vibes... THE TRACKS "This Is the Way" - Hmmm. Not off to a great start. Despite my slight exaggeration in the intro, I do in fact have some tolerance for hippie shit. If it's good. I love me some Cat Stevens for example. The Grateful Dead I've grown to appreciate more and more. This is exactly the sort of thing I expected to hear. It's cloying and precious, but not in a charming way. A lot of it has to do with Banhart's voice. He sounds like an elderly goblin doing an Al Jolson impersonation. That affected curling of his vowels ( could this be considered cursive singing? and the warbling stutter he adds did nothing to endear me to the brand of folk he's selling. "A Sight to Behold" - Atmosphere on this was good, and leaned towards something a bit epic in nature with the strings and intense acoustic guitar work, but damn that voice... "The Body Breaks" - This one started off very pretty, and felt like it was going in maybe amore whimsical playful direction, but no such luck. It was all schmaltzy romance vibes. Also, ewww... Is this a song about Davendra's sexy times? No thanks. With those vocals I'm picturing David the Gnome and his wife Lisa getting it on. "Poughkeepsie" - The count in on this just made it more annoying somehow, but the guitar work and even the melody was ok on this one. The pronunciation of floor as "flar" rhyming with door pronounced "dar". Jesus, dude. You are not in a 1930s Betty Boop cartoon. I could see someone like Joanna Newsome pulling this off and doing the instrumentation justice maybe. Will have to split the difference on the quality here. "Dogs They Make Up the Dark" - This one felt, well... darker. The guitar melody here slowed down and with some colder production might would not feel completely out of place on an Allogach album, which is impressive. And it's the shortest track on the album, which automatically puts it in running for the best! Which even makes the vocals far less distracting. "Will Is My Friend" - I get it, you really want this to have a homey, live feel. The warm, hissy production is doing all that work for you. We don't need any more countdowns. Oh my god, the affected vocals are even worse on this one. Is this just what he sounds like? Am I being cruel about a grown man's speech impediment? Am I a bully? I'm ok with that. I'm sure this guy is a millionaire many times over ( somehow) and this does not feel like punching down. "This Beard Is for Siobhán" - His voice actually works ok here. He's using the kind of old 1920s jazz phrasing and the guitar is approximating the sort of "every song is a novelty song" feel of the stuff from that period. It borders on charming. Just. I'd so much rather listen to Andrew Bird if I want some old timey nostalgia music. I'll give him his props here though. "See Saw" - So close my man. Just take a bit more English off of those vowels but keep the folkie forest troll vibes and this could actually maybe be kind of haunting and pretty. "Tit Smoking in the Temple of Artesan Mimicry" - What a title. This better be hilarious or super pretentious to live up to expectations. But what's this? A song where I don't have to listen to him sing! This was fine. It's fine. Worth 1:25 of real estate though? "Rejoicing in the Hands" - Oooh. He can sing like a normal person. I'm guessing he toned things down when he found out a legit minor folk legend agreed to sing a duet with him. This kind of makes me hate the other stuff even more knowing it could have been much better. This was pretty, if slight, and benefitted enormously from Vashti Bunyan's participation. Of you listen to any of the recommendations at the bottom, at least listen to this track by her, which blows anything on this album out of the water: "Train Song" by Vashti Bunyan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hswWRRk4vAo&list=OLAK5uy_nisrHSVgxesojmebWjHnC1_peHtqs0EN8&index=3 "Fall"- More good guitar, and even some percussion. I am so sick of his voice though at this point I'm tolerating the full runtimes of the songs. To skip them would feel like defeat. "Todos los Dolores" - More count offs! Sure , ok. oh, HAHAHAHA how charming, they left in the fuck up! Man, this Davendra guy is so authentic and natural. I'm sure that wasn't rehearsed several times. I'm impressed you can sing in Spanish. Truly. It does make his vocals a bit less awful, but not enough to matter much. Very off putting presentation in that it was trying to give demo vibes. "When the Sun Shone on Vetiver" - Nope. "There Was Sun" - An attempt at some old timey blues is admirable, but the delivery was borderline unbearable. This sounds like a song Jack White would do as a joke in between real songs to amuse the recording engineers. "Insect Eyes" - more blues folk, somewhat less offensive, but I really didn't need to hear Davendra's sexy voice, on the "Mm hmm hmm hmm" part which sounds like Yoda got into Luke's BlueChew stash. "Autumn's Child" - This was awful AND boring. Let Lana Del Rey re-record this and maybe you're on to something. HIGHLIGHTS - "Dogs They Make Up the Dark" - "This Beard Is for Siobhán" - "Rejoicing in the Hands" MIDLIGHTS - "Poughkeepsie" - "See Saw" - "Tit Smoking in the Temple of Artesan Mimicry" LOWLIGHTS - "This Is the Way" - "A Sight to Behold" - "The Body Breaks" - "Will Is My Friend" - "Fall" - "Todos los Dolores" - "When the Sun Shone on Vetiver" - "There Was Sun" - "Insect Eyes" FINAL THOUGHTS This all sort of blended together for me into a very samey stew, with no memorable melodies to speak of and nothing to disabuse me of any of my presupposed notions. On top of that, I grew to hate Barnhart's voice. I have to ask myself who is this music even for? Without getting too mean, I suspect there are legions of crystal collecting, essential oil using, Starbucks moms who love this thing, and more power to them I guess. I'm wracking my brain to try and think of anything positive to say about it. Okay, his guitar playing was quite good throughout, even if I didn't find much of it catchy enough to differentiate from track to track. The production is warm and all around good, and this does indeed feel like a professional attempt at ... something. I don't get the sense that Banhart is trolling or trying to be annoying or offensive or anything. The fact that he committed these boring, unmemorable tracks the record convinces me that he must have thought this was some good shit. That sort of misguided artistic intent at least keeps him out of the 1-star club, reserved for cynical assholes and the bafflingly untalented. Nothing on here makes me want to ever explore the man's discography anu further though, and it fully misses me in any sort of pleasurable way. This is the type of music I would expect to hear playing at an overpriced vegan cafe, so it has it's place in the music ecosystem. But it's just not my thing, and I think even as a representative of its kind, it falls well short. I'm sure there is a version of this sort of thing I could at least respect, if not like, but this is not it. And this is at least 75% or more because of his voice. Bjork can get away with this stuff, but c'mon man, you're from Texas. Possible turn-Offs might include: - grating, affected vocals - very dumb lyrics - strong hippie folk vibes You Might enjoy this if you: - larp as a gnomish alchemist, and need some inspirational music to psyche you up before a session - are not very picky about what you listen to PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - none of this is for me FURTHER LISTENING Precursors: - Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind – Singles and Demos 1964 to 1967 by Vashti Bunyan - Starsailor by Tim Buckley - Basket of Light by Pentangle Contemporaries: - Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs Andrew Bird - Transfiguration of Vincent by M. Ward - I See a Darkness by Bonnie Prince Billie - The Creek Drank the Cradle by Iron & Wine - by Andrew Bird - The Milk-Eyed Mender by Joanna Newsom - Descendants: - Chemtrails over the Country Club by Lana Del Rey - Thunder Follows the Light by Mutual Benefit - I Need to Start a Garden by Haley Heynderickx - Moon in Gemini by Isik Kural

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

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.

Lo fi. Lo enjoyment.

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I tried. I really, really tried. There is some pretty impressive guitar on this one, and it has a throwback sound that at times belies its 2004 release, reminiscent of Cat Stevens, Jim Croce or Frank Zappa. But the singing and lyricism here is absolute buns, stuffed to the gills with pseudo-intellectual, proto-philosophical hot garbage, and I found myself more and more annoyed with it as it went on. By "There Was Sun," all benefit of doubt was withdrawn, and I was unable to finish each of the remaining tracks. For its instrumentation alone I wanted to give it at least a 2/5, but find it difficult to round up to there.

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Grating. Annoying. I hate it.

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.

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.

Boring, pretentious indie crap. Not sure why there's so many of these albums on this list. They aren't essential listening by any means. Best songs: Nil

This makes me feel like a mouse or perhaps a vole.

I quite liked this. Easy to listen to.

im rejoicing aright

This is definitely a niche album but one that I love. The sound can be very offputting at first for many but I was pulled in immediately. My favorite song on the album is This is the Way a song of self acceptance and joy. This album is in the Freak Folk genre along with Joanna Newsom.