devendra banheart

Devendra Banhart is a unique spirit and old soul often noted for his surreal, naturalistic lyrics and idolization of Tropicália innovator Caetano Veloso. On Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon, his latest full-length release, Banhart both stays true to and expands his "freak-folk" style, classified as "New Weird America" or "Naturalismo" by some.

Each track on Smokey seems to effortlessly evoke the spirit of a different artist and time, undoubtedly influenced by the bohemian enclave of its recording location-Topanga Canyon, a '60s hot spot for artists such as Neil Young and Jim Morrison.

Banhart creates a record that remains light even with deep, husky vocals characteristic of a young Bigfoot. A cast of collaborators is present to aid in this accomplishment, including Gael García Bernal of The Motorcycle Diaries and Nick Valensi of the Strokes. The music ranges from the clean, subdued melodies of "Cristobal," to a colorful samba on the Portuguese Tropicália homage "Rosa." The album even turns jazzy on the hushed, reincarnation-themed epic "Seahorse" which features Banhart sweetly crooning "I wanna be a little seahorse."

The track "Lover" is peppered with funky guitar and couplets so adorable that you can't help but swoon when he sings "I just wanna be your cow, give you all the milk around town." Moments of sheer bliss on the syrupy, piano-driven "I Remember" and the endearingly simple "Freely" highlight Banhart's eccentrically buoyant sound. However, some motifs just end up sounding too silly. The Jewish love saga "Shabop Shalom," in particular, provides a strong case for omission from the album's cumbersome 16 tracks. The same can be said for the hallelujah-chorus inspired "Saved."

Devendra Banhart surely has never been afraid to explore the spiritual and mystical in his music. On Smokey, he definitely takes a crack at a more playful image, experimenting with different genres and sounds by, paradoxically, backing off of from the "freak folk" label that he has shouldered for many moons. However, with its 16-track length, Smokey's real gems tend to get lost in the periphery.