Premature Evaluation: Devendra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
When Devendra Banhart curated Golden Apples Of The Sun then dropped his fourth full-length, 2005's Cripple Crow, we were at the height of our DB love. Around that time, though, something strange happened in the so-called Hairy Faerie camp. The moment, for us at least, can be traced to a Cripple-era Bowery Ballroom gig when Banhart and his freaky folksy pals suddenly seemed a wee bit annoying. The "bit" was upped to "extremely" months later during his set at the Pitchfork Music Festival. It was as if the more zaniness he crammed into his persona, the more breezily classic-rock generic the music itself sounded. Who knows what the show's like nowadays (we're currently on a live Banhart boycott), but Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon's by far his mellowest, nightie night, lulling release to date. Right, it's kinda boring. If our logic follows, guess that live show must be way wacky at this point.
Outside Banhart's usual bearded posse, various guests stop by his mountainside crib: The Black Crowes' Chris Robinson lays down Argentinean charang (a string'd thing) on "Samba Vexillographica," the Strokes' Nick Valensi offers some sorta New York 2001 vibes to "Shabop Shalom," and actor Gael Garcia Bernal (he played Che!) duets on "Cristobal." What, no Lindsay?
Banhart's been generously posting new tracks on his site, so some of Smokey should already be familiar. We've talked about the epic Doors-echoing "Seahorse" (turns out it's one of the album's best), conga-fied "Carmensita" and "Bad Girl," a wispy gem we earlier described as a "truly lovely, slide and vocal wah-wah ballad." Then there's the smooth, somehow damp reggae stylings of "The Other Woman" and "Samba Vexilographica"'s shaky ... samba. Whoa, we're having flashbacks.
Over the course of an hour and change, he delves deeper into sock-hop crooning, pretty piano blitzes, dozy church organ, dub, all sorts of expansiveness, struttin' street-corner soul, Spanish singing: Banhart's indeed spreading those wings, but damn if all the flapping isn't making us nod out a bit! There's a trio of gorgeous, dew-kissed ballads at the end ("Freely," "I Remember," and "My Dearest Friend") ... a shame it's such rough going getting to 'em. In pulpit-ready, Stonesian sing-a-long "Saved," Banhart intones before his crack gospel choir: "I do need somebody to come wake me up, shake me up." We hear ya, dude. While you're on the look out for a shaker, might also want to find someone willing to edit you down some.
Smokey Rolls Down The Thunder Canyon is out 9/25 on XL.
Posted at 7:05 PM in Premature Evaluation
Tags: Devendra Banhart
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Yeah man, shit is straight "Zzzzzzzz."
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suxxxxx
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I've never listened to this guy before. Should I check out this cd?
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I disagree with the general negativity towards this album I'm reading here...I thought it sounded pretty damn good first time through.
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It's a perfectly okay album, but damned if the Devandra worship and his antics over the past couple years haven't soured me on the guy.
DwD
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I agree with the general sentiment. The tipping point for me was the fashion spread he and the Vetiver kids did in the NY Times magazine. That was pretty much when I knew that I had had enough Devendra.
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There's some really beautiful stuff on the new album, possibly some of his best songs.. It's way too long though, same as Cripple Crow - why does the guy feel that he has to fill 74mins every time just because there's space on the CD? With some more quality control, judicious editing etc you'd have a great album instead of a decent but patchy one.. I'm perfectly happy with the predominantly mellow vibe, because the melancholic overtones make it interesting, and there are just enough more energetic moments to balance it out. The irritating hippie man-child jokester stuff that took up a lot the last album is pretty much absent, which is a relief.
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I really like the new one. It seems way different than his previous releases. It sounds a lot more mature. I'm going to see him this month. I've never seen him live before; is his live show really that lame?
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i don't get why people are ripping it for being too mellow. was he ever not mellow? did he ever rip? i mean, seahorse rips harder than anything else i've heard by him. so yeah, i'm not a huge devendra fan but this is my favourite release of his. it's nice. but his releases are too long. short albums are a personal preference though.
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What? I don't know about the Bowery Ballroom incident, but I loved his performance at Pitchfork ... and I'm not a Devendra worshipper. I thought he had a great rapport with the audience as opposed to the standoffish, aloof, pretentious nature of many "indie" artists. BUT, that's the only time I've seen him live. He may very well be an annoying freak elsewhere.
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Really? This is the best album of the year to sleep with or relax to. I like it, a lot. Nice to hear all those Brazilian influences with his particular voice. Need to get his older stuff.
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His last record was a bit too long and could have been trimmed down a bit. It was for that reason it took me a long time to take it all in. But once I had it for a few months I fell in love with it. He's a great talent.
I have only seen hime once and it was in Chicago, maybe 2005?, and he did an R. Kelly cover and had a sing along with the audience. It was great. I went in expecting a solo acoustic show and he and his band killed.
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Hah, right... stereogum readers. Everyone knows shit like the hold steady or oh no oh my are more lasting and progressive. Seriously what else is better than this right now, truly? What new album do you see in rotation 5 years from now that you're currently listening to? So petty to call an album out for being too long... are their not songs you enjoy on the album throughout? I'm sure some of the tracks you don't like are others favorites. I honestly think Devendra writes music well outside of the contrived and uninteresting indie genre that is so bloated now... it's no wonder that so many that buy into that are ready to dismiss his music. If someone can write a constructive argument about why his music is not interesting or more in tune with a more mature and timeless song writing style I am all ears...
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Love the fellow, but a beard trim is in order.
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The tipping point for me was when I wanted to see him last night at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, only to discover that the tickets were 26 bucks a pop. Uh, NO?!?!?!?! A little too big for your britches, much?
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we should give him a break. clell tickle DID rip his beard off afterall.
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all systems bro! brodacious! broback mountain! i'll never let bro, jack! bro money, bro problems! the bro end theory! brahstitutes?
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barnheart was better when he was performing in dumpsters on 32nd street. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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The short set by Devendra and band this past February at Carnegie Hall rocked pretty hard and ended in a great whirl of psych-rock. Devendra's one cool cookie - would be that more young rockers let their hair down and loosen up.
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I went to is show last night in Portland and had to leave because I was falling asleep.
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boring? werent his earlier albums mostly acoustic
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What a bad review! Just like you learned in high school english, you presented your thesis - 'boring album', but then you get it all wrong by enumerating examples of how multi-faceted and interesting it is.
Its crazy to call this album boring. While I don't happen to feel this way, a more valid criticism would be to say it's scattered, or trying to do too much. There is so damn much going on on this record. The musicianship is top notch - far beyond his other records - and it sounds gorgeous. MAybe your confusing the fact that the songs are better crafted for boring. I could see your point if Devendra's narrative and singular 'voice' was no longer present in these songs, but it absolutely is - he and his dudes have just gotten better at making and recording music.
Anyways - an A for the record, and a C- for the review. At least you still passed.
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It's fucking awesome.
It's pretty.
There's variety.
Easily his most accomplished yet.
People need to stop focusing on the fact that he's eccentric (although he does broadcast it sometimes), and start listening to his music.
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Seriously, Devendra's lost it. Take it back a few years ago and he was looking out; now he's just looking in- his music was simple because his life was simple. Imagine getting fat and happy, your wonder lessens, your creativity becomes less focused . Imagine having everyone in the world going 'look at this guy he's so freaky...' and millions of people going 'oh you're such a prophet, or whatever.' You'd start to believe it. I loved everything up to cripple crow because it was base, harsh, wonder music with a great spin on the magic and mystery of the world. This has gone now- replaced with a tired band and music that sounds contrived because it IS contrived, no new ground trodden, no pushing any boundaries, no PASSION. Devendra's voice used to be the most incredible thing to hear live. It now just sounds like any of your other bloated guitar 'gods'. Lame.
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A like the same Brazilian stuff Devendra probably does and I think he discredits it. His voice is witchy, like he's casting a spell. I don't relate to witch music, frankly.
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