Underneath Devendra Banhart's pillow it wouldn't be surprising to find a worn
copy of Tim Buckley's
definitive Goodbye and Hello. A year ago it
would have been much more common to find in this spot
a copy of Marc Bolan's pre-T. Rex solo album
Beginning of Doves. Banhart's debut, Oh Me Oh My,
used similar techniques to Bolan's in creating a
stripped-down low-fidelity series of psych-folk
fragments that was equal measures trick and treat.
On his second album, Rejoicing in the Hands,
co-produced by Banhart and onetime Swans leader/ Young God Records head Michael
Gira, he shrugs off the mantle of psychedelic merry
prankster and embraces the role of professional
musician with a self-assured air of pomp and
circumstance. Leaving his four-track behind for a real studio and making use
of some musician friends and associates to flesh out his compositions, Banhart
has crafted an album worthy of the hype that surrounded his uneven but highly
regarded debut.
The trickery and oddball musical pieces that marred
Oh Me Oh My — some of the album was recorded on friends' answering
machines — have been replaced by a more
mature and developed old-time folk soundtrack that contains both the feel of
traveling vaudeville shows and the spirit of Steinbeck's
The Grapes of Wrath.
This tone is evident from the start as "This Is the
Way" finds Banhart's often reed-like voice recast as
soulful, which adds a gentle flourish to this sweet folk
song. Acoustic guitar mimics the vocal melody to
add a sense of harmony to an already powerful
performance. "A Sight to Behold," a ballad
about the pains of love, leans on the same formula
with slight but important variation. A gentle chorus
of strings and a winning quaver to Banhart's vocal
complements the verses. Both sell the pain and drawn
emotion of this composition.
Some of Banhart's coy madness is still intact
though, as his lyrics still string together a host of
paradoxes that often add up to little more than a
jumble of sounds and words. The jubilant "This Beard
Is for Siobhan," which features such nonsensical
fragments as "Because my teeth don't bite I can take
them out dancing/ I could take my little teeth out and
I could show them a real good time" backed by some
Django Reinhart-influenced, finger-picked guitar work.
The song reaches a crescendo as Banhart chants the
phrase "A real good time/ A good time" over and over
until a bashing percussionist joins the fray and the
song explodes into the promised rambunctious good
time.
"Will Is My
Friend," with simple piano and acoustic guitar accompaniment, is one of the finest
songs Banhart has yet recorded. It features a more laconic vocal style that references
Bessie Smith more than any of his folk influences. It also brings to memory another
Californian folk singer who used a soulful voice to
complement his stirring folk compositions — Tim
Buckley. The song begins with a remembrance of a lost
friend with a voice like British bluesman John Mayall's, who Banhart is
willing back to life in a shamanistic fashion:"Will is my friend/ Will sings
like John/ Come back to
California." The delivery of the lyrics wilts,
quavers and resurrects itself much in the way Tim
Buckley did on his classic "Song to the Siren."
Banhart also stretches outside of the normal folk fold
with the infusion of a certain world flavor on a pair
of tracks. "Fall" features a flamenco guitar
accompanied by a jilting rhythm of bongos and various
other percussion, which results in a compelling modern
mariachi sound. Expanding upon the homage to Mexican
music and culture, "Todo Los Dolores" merges the
flamenco sound with sultry Spanish language vocals.
While both tracks step sideways from Banhart's
fundamental style, each track retains enough of his
distinct character so that both feel at home in the
context of this album.
The combination of timeless songs, superb production and Banhart's often mesmerizing performance make for a very strong album. At certain points
the ghost of Woody Guthrie will surface in the
background, while at others it may be '60s folk
luminaries like Bert Jansch, Jackson Frank, or at his
best, Tim Buckley. Whatever the point of reference,
the greater realization is that with just a few
collections under his belt, Banhart is establishing
himself as a folk heavyweight; a writer and performer
who is equally adept at captivating both the youth
and the serious folk music fans.
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