| Nov. 12th, 2009 @ 01:20 am Devendra Banhart puts freak-folk on the map with the psychedelic sound of What Will We Be |
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Devendra Banhart puts freak-folk on the map with the psychedelic sound of What Will We Be
By: Caity Cudworth
Posted: 11/10/09
11/10/09 - The world isn't always a kind place for fanatical hippies. After all, most Americans care about KFC, NASCAR, and nukes, not wheat grass, world peace, and incense. So, there is a certain degree of eye-rolling lobbed at the kind of people who wear clothing made out of cruelty-free, fair-trade organic hemp.
America just doesn't have much tolerance for crunchy New Age spirituality. Kind of busy for that, you dig? There's just too much reality TV to watch and poorly-made crap to purchase. Case in point, once you get sucked into a conversation about charkas, it's hard to exit gracefully so you can go drive your Shaq-sized SUV to Best Buy.
And we all know patchouli-pushers don't typically take "now isn't really a great time for me to go on a spiritual vision quest or whatever" as an answer.
So it makes sense that freak-folk pioneer Devendra Banhart has remained kind of a fringe figure on the music scene. He's long beenpleasant novelty to mainstream music, kind of like an exotic bird or a weird kid with a cool party trick. But Banhart's new album, What Will We Be, may earn him some credit with listeners outside the psychedelic-folk circle, maybe even ones that wear shoes.
What Will We Be manages to be groovy without reeking of rehashed psychedelia. The LP brings Banhart's hushed voice to sunny tracks brimming with mellow Motown, wounded acoustics, and lush tropical riffs-- and yes, lyrics about opening your soul to the rhythms of a loving, incandescent universe or some such.
And while Banhart might look like the zealous dude at the co-op who's just a little bit too jazzed up about his drum circle, he's definitely a gifted musician. He has a talent for layering eclectic contrasts and an ear for juxtaposition.
This is especially true on the album's second track, "Angelicka." The single song careens through genres, starting softly and going out in a blur of howling Spanish rag-and-bone stomp. "Let regret end at the start of your day," Banhart sings, putting on his spiritual guru hat (or I guess, elaborate beaded headdress?), "don't take no secrets back to your grave. Love's in your heart and hate's in your head. You've got to go blank to let it appear."
Yes, some of Banhart's musings sound straight cribbed from "The Power of Now" but it doesn't come off as the quack wisdom of some yuppie who spent too much time sweating it out in a Tee-Pee.
This time around, Banhart took the time to fine tune his tripped-out lyrics . There's nothing about desperately wanting to be "a little seahorse" on this album, thankfully, and it goes down pretty smoothly.
Most of the songs, however, jive on without weighty soul-searching. "Can't Help But Smile" finds Banhart channeling Vampire Weekend with bright world music beats. Serene, watery piano lines meld with the rush of maracas for a decidedly beachy vibe.
Banhart gets his freak-folk Al Green on with the track, "Baby," a low-key crooner that'll charm the patchwork skirts off every dime on the commune.
It seems that Banhart has finally found his footing with this disc. It's a brilliantly blended album, teeming with wisdom, wanderlust and vibey musical pairings. What Will We Be is perfect for road trips, loafing in your living room on fuzzy-headed Sundays, or even a little bit of post sit-in mellowing out. It's a charming breakthrough for Banhart, one that's elegant, eclectic, and just weird enough to be wonderful.
The picture is from the Hecuba music video. I think he 'cleans' up really nice.
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