Artist: Banhart, Devendra
Label: XL Recordings
Release: 2007
Rating: 3.5/5
Devendra Banhart is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who was born in Texas and later spent a long stretch of his life in Venezuela. He’s carried his life in Latin America over into his music, which is packed with hippy, folk and ethnic influences. Even though he’s only 26, the guy already has a pretty impressive mileage under his belt in terms of releases. He’s definitely no newcomer, and it shows in the music, which has only gotten better with every album.
Nothing about Banhart is ordinary. Even his song titles are a mix of Spanish, Hebrew, English and generally weird word combinations (just look at the title of the new album). His dress style often stirs up controversy, so it’s fair to ask whether the music or the look (the image) matters more. His website is also wildly unusual – on one subpage you can even dress Banhart up in a pile of ragged outfits. It doesn’t matter what tricks Mr. Banhart uses for promotion (if they even are tricks, or if that’s just who he is) – all that counts is the music, and with Banhart it’s above the average of popular acts.
Mostly, Banhart and his buddies play an acoustic style that’s very reminiscent of the sixties (the hippy scene, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, etc.). There’s very little new technology (no synthesizers), just classic instruments. The production is “old-school” too, and perfectly suited to this kind of music. But don’t go thinking Mr. Banhart is some scatterbrained hippy kid who believes the whole world is in bloom. Not at all. His lyrics are full of understanding for the state of the world today. The man is clearly well-read and aware. You can hear plenty of Latino influences in the music, which isn’t surprising given that Banhart spent his early childhood in Venezuela.
Devendra Banhart has a ton of talent. He’s a very versatile musician and singer-songwriter who has surrounded himself with nothing but good players. His voice is very relaxed, maybe even a bit too hippie-ish for my taste, but it’s definitely a pleasure to listen to. The album is really rich in instruments and arrangements. There are lots of layered and backing vocals that help Banhart build a bigger, fuller sound. There are also plenty of guests on the album, and every single one of them stands out. Luckily, Banhart made use of every second on the record and enriched it with some extra instrument here and there. The album could practically have been played with just an acoustic guitar and vocals, and that’s probably how it started out, but it’s exactly these extra arrangements that matter so much in making the record more than it might otherwise have been.
Smokey is a sweet, fun album that will be enjoyed above all by fans of more acoustic-leaning singer-songwriter music. For the most part these are simple songs, but it’s precisely their simplicity and sincerity that get the job done. The album isn’t flashy or full of moments of technical perfection, but it’s very human and so warm it melts your heart. A really lovely album for chilling out.
Lineup
Devendra Banhart – vocals, guitar, piano, percussion
Duckey Remington – bass, acoustic guitar, percussion, vocals
Noah Georgeson- guitar, vocals, bass, organ
Rodrigo Amarante – guitar, vocals, percussion
Andy Cabic – vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion
Pete Newsom – piano, percussion, organ, drums, vocals
Greg Rogove – drums, percussion
guests:
Vashti Bunyan – vocals
Matteah Baim – vocals
Linda Permacs – vocals
Maxine Waters – vocals
Jula Waters – vocals
Gael Garcia Bernal – vocals
Monalisa Young – vocals
Lauren Dukoff – flute
Chris Robinson – percussion
Otto Hauser – drums
Nathan Pelkey – percussion
Benjamin Oak Goodman – drums and percussion
Section Quartet – strings
Production
Noah Georgeson and Devendra Banhart
Track list
1. Cristobal
2. So Long Old Bean
3. Samba Vexillographica
4. Sea Horse
5. Bad Girl
6. Sea Side
7. Shabop Shalom
8. Tonada Yanomaminista
9. Rosa
10. Saved
11. Lover
12. Carmensita
13. The Other Woman
14. Freely
15. I Remember
16. My Dearest Friend
