PRESS
Devendra Banhart - Rejoicing in the Hands
The Evening Standard | by David Smyth
3 out of 3
Song titles such as Dogs They Make Up The Dark and This Beard Is For Siobhan are an early indication that New-York based Devendra Banhart may be too eccentric for the mainstream. Yet other signs suggest that he could soon be very popular. This is his second full-length album but his first for influential label XL, which has already made stars of equally onorthodox talents such as Dizzee Rascal and The White Stripes. For Rejoicing, he has reined in the more extreme vocal tics of his past work, which should make him more palatable to a wider audience.Banhart sings in a wavering, ancient-sounding voice over acoustic guitar with the barest dabs of piano and strings. The Body Breaks and Fall have a timeless, magical quality that should garner this incredibly talented artist a cult following.