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Devendra Banhart | OH ME OH MY... | Review
BUST | Jillian Steinberger
Like a modernist fireside minstrel
this odd singer/songwriter sings fragile,eerie, almost-whispered songs stripped down to thier essentials. Its just Devendra and his acoustic guitar - looking like a cross between Tiny Tim and Vincent Gallo and sounding exactly like 60's folkie Karen Dalton-making the music with occasional foot stomping or hand claps for percussion.The effect however,is huge, His psych-folk lyrics are intimate,elemntal,and close-up,like looking at a leaf, but not seeing its outline, just its texture and the pale veains running through it. The album goes on and on, almost as if it wete one long song with little parts.It may be suprising to learn that Banhart is the protege of Michael Gira from the Swans because unlike his mentor, Devendra is quite a bit more tuneful and a whole lot more subtle.This is a tremendous album.