Oh Me Oh My... the Way the Day Goes By the Sun Is Setting...

Before even listening to the album it's not too difficult to gather that the album may be a little strange. Just a look at the album title and the full titles of many of the tracks give an indication of Banhart's mindset. 'The Thumbs Touch Too Much' and 'Lend Me Your Teeth' are not the kind of song titles you would expect on a Nickelback album. Indeed this feeling is only enhanced by actually listening to the album, which before going any further must be declared as the most unexpected oddity of 2002. And what a joy it is.

Over the course of 22 tracks Banhart weaves a considerable variety of emotions and themes together to create an album with genuine intimacy. Swinging from sweet story-teller (Soon is Good, Michigan State) to creepy shouter of ambiguous phrases (Nice People, Lend Me Your Teeth), Banhart makes every minute of the album worthwhile. Many of the lyrical images he conjures are too surreal to have far-reaching significance to the audience yet somehow one can relate to making 'soup out of pumpkin seeds' and having a friend who possesses your 'favourite teeth' which 'bend backward when she breathes'.

Exactly how Banhart makes these nonsensical messages have an emotive presence is not really clear but certainly his voice goes a long way. At points it is nothing more than a screech, but when he knuckles down it really shines and he can float into falsetto with the best of them. Also, the fact that he uses everything at his disposal to add to the effect (hand-claps, whistles) really gives the listener an impression of the intensity with which he works.

Though this is nothing more than Banhart's home and travel recordings there is a great deal here. Time will tell whether he can cut it as an in-studio talent, the ultimate fear is that the rare beauty and intimacy will be lost with slick production.

Either way, I will be awaiting his next with great anticipation. So should you be.

That is pretty apparent - this album does not sound like it was recorded professionally, because it wasn't. On most of the songs, the background tape hiss is very noticeable, and a lot of the songs sound half-completed (meaning they come an end rather abruptly).

That said though, Mr. Banhart has a very distinctive sound. His voice can only be described as unique - a sort of manic caterwaul, which on occasion stops just short of being downright creepy. On the song "Nice People..." he sounds worryingly anxious to impress on the listener that "they *certainly are* nice people".

When he keeps his mad falsetto in check, though, he really can sing. On songs such as "The Charles C. Leary", "Animals..." and "Cosmos and Demos" he crafts beautiful melodies, laden with wonderful lyrics that paint vivid pictures of "people with their paws" and "snails with their slow".

In conclusion, if you like music sounds slightly different to your average fare then you really won't go far wrong with this record. It sounds very different indeed. But in a good way.

This is one of my favourite albums of 2002, and hopefully we'll be hearing a lot more from Devendra Banhart in the future.

DB took his dictaphone and his old guitar and started to record some demos. Michael Gira (Swans) heard these and decided they were too good not to be heard by the rest of the world. Give the man a medal! This is a truly inspiring and original disc!

You have to be able to handle DB's strange choirboy-gone-mad kind of voice. It's an androgynous voice that can turn you nuts or makes you fall in love with it. Sometimes it sounds sad, sometimes sweet, sometimes downright scary. But it remains very powerful throughout the album. It is DB's strongest weapon.

I hope we are gonna hear a lot more from DB in the future.