Devendra Banhart: Smokey Rolls Down Thunder CanyonXL: 9/25/2007
Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon continues Devendra Banhart's steady march away from the eccentric lo-fi acoustic guitar recordings of his early career, but he is by no means settling down into a comfortable rock aesthetic. Though there is a greater emphasis on a wide variety of instruments and complex arrangements, Banhart's greatest strength is still his gift for writing endearingly weird pop songs.
The album really begins to build momentum about halfway through, with the doo-wop Jewish romance, "Shebop Shalom". "The Other Woman" and "Freely", the album's most beautiful track, demonstrate Banhart's ability to easily shift point-of-view or even gender in his song-writing. "Saved" is one among many experimentations with a wide range of genres, including gospel blues and reggae. Smokey might be initially off-putting to longtime fans who loved Oh Me Oh My... and Rejoicing in the Hands, but repeated listens show that it might be his best album yet.
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