Devendra Banhart - 'Rejoicing In The Hands (Of The Golden Empress)' (XL)
4/5
By: Toby L
We can tell this Devendra Banhart is a fruitcake (as if the name wasn't enough of a marker): his handwriting is bloody illegible. Reading the inlay of his lyrics for debut widespread release 'Rejoicing In The Hands (Of The Golden Empress)' is more a strain to the eyes than fully eyeing up the singer-songwriter's cacophonous beard, itself as stealthy as the mountain of text which covers his sleeve-artwork page to page.
Musically, such eccentricities continue. His songs are short, folksy, acoustic-led efforts and couldn't be more timeless if they tried; like the ghosts of Buckley and Cohen engaging in a quiet, dignified fencing battle. Not that there's anything inharmonious about this business - the beauty of Banhart is the simplicity and minimalism of his storytelling, as reassuring and cosy as Christmas Day with a fireplace loaded with crackles amidst a log-piled blaze.
Chords are steeped in technical, but flowing, precision, and his voice coats every lyrical couplet or sentiment in an awry, gently husky inflection that's both immediately distinct and homely, but somehow extraordinary. This is no typical singer-on-a-stool; Banhart bears the intimacy, mystique and magic of legends.
Though predominantly solo and live, 'Rejoicing...' builds up in all the right places to full/semi band-efforts, and they come much warranted; 'This Beard Is For Siobhan' is a pub-rouser, stomping with drunken lucidity and 'Fall' is a gently infectious rumble with its entwining guitars and helplessly basic 'ooh-whoa-oh' choral refrain.
He even musters rockfeedback's official, most favourite ever song-title - 'Tit Smoking In The Temple Of Artesan Mimicry' - amid an intoxicating, solo acoustic-piece, while the foreign linguistic of 'Todo Los Dolores' is so honest that we even hear Banhart make a grand f**k-up, our master clearly still valuing it enough for the final collection. True art - beauty, blemishes, and all.
Artists in this article: Devendra Banhart
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