Devendra Banhart - WhatWill We Be

Mon 30th Nov, 2009 in Music Reviews

One could almost take the title of Devendra Banhart’s latest album as a defeatist statement; the acknowledgment that he is still searching with his music and is unsure of where he’s heading. Some parts of What Will We Be back that statement up – especially four of the last five songs, which are Banhart on autopilot.

With the biggest failing out of the way, there is much to admire and absorb on this, his sixth official album. The – œfreak folk’ tag has been hung around Banhart’s neck since he first emerged, but over time he has stretched the parameters of his music and shrugged off the overly simplistic label. It just didn’t do justice to the diversity of his music. In fact, a first-time listener would probably view What Will We Be as a slightly eccentric, wasted, west coast, post-psych soul record. It ambles and strolls along, adding and removing different stylistic phrases along the way.

Angelika is Devendra as we know him, with its sweet, almost nursery rhyme melody and acoustic guitar finger-picking. Mid song, it takes a left turn into a Cuban jazz bar with swinging polyrhythmic percussion; summing up Banhart’s magpie tendencies.

The first song to really hit the spot is Baby, with its sparse instruments providing a soul soundtrack like a lost Motown track stranded on the Californian coastline. The bass in particular propels the verses into the cascading chorus with falsetto vocals. It’s a classic pop song in a long tradition of American soul music.

The one other moment of brilliance on What Will We Be is 16th & Valencia Roxy Music, a pulsing glam disco number with Latin accents and a giveaway title. The winning catch is that it’s done in a communal rather than alienating way. There are no cold electronics: just pure melody and a driving rhythm. It’s irresistibly catchy and, along with Baby, the highlight of the album.

Two tracks bring the guitar melodies of Ryan Adams to mind. Goin’ Back lifts the riff wholesale from Cold Roses, while the contrasting sections of Rats recall Adams and the particular breezy funk sound of Beck, probably as a result of their recent collaborations.

The last run of songs let down what would otherwise be a great album. Often accused of distraction and indulgence, Banhart could have jettisoned those tracks and had a consistently strong 10-track album. Maria Lianza, Brindo, Meet Me At The Lookout Point and Walilamdzi all drift by without distinguishable moments of beauty or hooks to sink yours ears into. They’re not bad songs, just forgettable; adding little to What Will We Be.

Banhart has shown he can stay rooted in the folk world but also draw South American, Mexican and Cuban influences into his trippy sound. The production on the album is notably gorgeous, with Daniel – œBlack Dub’ Lanois mixing a selection of songs. Still chasing the twin pillars of romantic and party songs, Banhart has nailed it here on a handful of tracks. Unfortunately, though, What Will We Be lacks the consistency needed to make a complete album that will stand up to repeated listens.

What Will We Be is out now on Warner Bros Records. Devendra Banhart plays the Big Day Out this summer.