Pur essendo giovanissimo e con solo 3 album all'attivo Devendra Banhart è già un musicista molto apprezzato nei circuiti indie, e viene citato come il capo carismatico del "nuovo" genere chiamato Prewar Folk Esplosion che sta coinvolgendo parte dell'underground musicale americano. In effetti Devendra ha un po' l'aria fascinosa del guru figlio/nipotino dei fiori, (capelli lunghi e pantaloni di velluto sí, ma anche t-shirt dannatamente trendy) i suoi live sono suonati a lume di candela (ma un piccolo fuoco sarebbe anche meglio) e sia lui che il pubblico sono seduti per terra a gambe incrociate (lui però ha dei gran cuscini).

Rejoicing In The Hands (Of The Golden Empress) uscito nel giugno 2004 è deliziosamente naif, e anche Devendra lo è. Un puro che non conosce cinismo e sarcasmo. Uno che ci è e non ci fa. O almeno, così è come viene descritto, ma io credo che al solito la stampa ci ricami sopra un bel po'. Comunque, aldilà del personaggio che può stare più o meno simpatico, questo è un gran bel disco, più definito e articolato rispetto ai due precedenti, più maturo verrebbe da dire, ma sempre fatto in casa, anche se questa volta la casa non è più lo squat a Manhattan ma la casa di M.Gira presentatogli dall'amico Siobhan a cui Banhart ha dedicato la sua barba e una canzone: "This Beard Is For Siobhan".

I brani non sono più le filastrocche surreali abbozzate e un po' tristi di "Black Babies Uk" figlie di un periodo difficile (ora si rifiuta di suonarle dal vivo) ma pezzi felici di folk e blues dalla magia sbilenca che evocano una naturale e delicata bellezza profumata di verde, di resina e cieli stellati.

I testi evidenziano una scrittura prolifica e particolare, nella bolla di vetro in cui sta il mondo di Devendra la plastica non è mai stata inventata, ritorna alle origini, al rapporto umano con la gloria di madrenatura: "In the dark we are without her empress light/ In the dark we are without a light/ Half asleep we are calmly waiting through her night/ We wait till she arrives/ Clouds of birds are covering her dark blue sky", violini e pianoforte e semplicità di percussioni. Oppure racconta del suo quotidiano "Will is my friend/ Will sings like John/ goin' back to California... Will is good friend of mine/ With whom I spend lot of my time" cantato sul basso di Will che lo accompagna anche nei live. O ancora inneggia alle gioie della fisicità: "The body breaks/ and the body is fine/ I'm open to yours and you're open to mine/The body calls out it whispers at first.../Yeah the body burns strong/ and 'till mine is with yours/ mine will burn on/ My flesh sings out/ Honey come put me out... / The body sways like the wind on a swing/ a bridge through a hoop/ or a lake through a ring..." dolcezza infinita di chitarra acustica.

Musica hippy di nuovissima generazione, più mistica e meno politica. Luminoso.

Elenco tracce testi samples e video

01   This Is the Way (02:53)

02   It's a Sight to Behold (02:26)

03   The Body Breaks (02:43)

The body breaks
And the body is fine
I'm open to yours
And i'm open to mine

The body aches
And that ache takes it time
But you'll get over yours
And i'll get over mine

And the sun will shine
And the moon will rise up

The body calls
Yeah, the body, it calls out
It whispers at first
But it ends with a shout

The body burns
Yeah, the body burns strong
Until mine is with yours
Then mine will burn on

My flash sings out
It sings, "come pour me out"

The body sways
Like the wind on a swing
A bridge through a hoop
Or a lake through a ring

The body stays
And then the body moves on
And i'd really rather not dwell on
When yours will be gone

But within the dark
There is a shine
One tiny spark
That's yours and mine

04   Poughkeepsie (02:17)

One, two, three, four

By the banks of old poughkeepsie
My love swam with me
Nature's tender bones are breathing
Lungs, each breaths, each breathes and

Have you felt it?
Have you?
I've felt it too
And so have you

Summer day, she stays by her window
Her saggy flesh it sweeps the floor
Down her steps and through her hallway
Coming out her door and

Have you seen it?
Have you?
I've seen that too
And so have you

Now man holds hands, head, neck, shaped cobweb
White oil fills each pore
Again down your steps and through your hallway
Jumping out your door and

Have you done it?
Have you?
I've done that too
And so have you

Well, love me tender
V-v-v-v-v-v-iva las vegas
And hounddog
All shook up
Heartbreak hotel
Lawdy, miss clawdy
Blue moon
Blue suede shoes and

Have you heard it?
Have you?
I've heard that too
And i know for sure that so have you

05   Dogs They Make Up the Dark (01:20)

Dogs they make up the dark surrounding
Mountains, they move towards the sea
Lie there, shine from your wound is blinding
Mountains still move towards the sea

06   Will Is My Friend (03:04)

One, two, three, four

Will is my friend
Will sings like John
Goin' back to california
Will is the west
Coast with me
Will is a pass
Is a plenty
Will is a good friend of mine
With whom i spend a whole lotta my time
The lemon tree
It laughs at me
It's growin' beautifully
The little vine
It won't unwind
And it'll wrap your whole in time
Now let's have a glass of wine
Now let's have another glass of wine
This is the water
In which we wade
This is our father
And this is how he strayed
This is the wind
And this is the breeze
I ooooo eeee
Will is my friend
Will sings like john
Goin' back to california

07   This Beard Is for Siobhán (02:36)

The daughter of a man
Was a mammal
She bore the mark of fire
And of flame
Though they're both the same

Born unto the age of the golden
Oh that golden age of endless loss and endless gain
Tra la la la !

Now because my lips have split
All the little children
They all hide in front
In the middle and in the behind
La, la, la, la !

And because my nose has froze
But i can keep on smellin'
I could smell my little day away
I could smell my whole day away
Na da da da !

Now because my teeth don't bite
I can take 'em out dancin'
I could take my little teeth out
And i could show them a real good time
Tra la la la

A good time a good time
A real good time...

08   See Saw (03:22)

09   Tit Smoking in the Temple of Artesan Mimicry (01:25)

( Instrumental )

10   Rejoicing in the Hands (01:41)

In the dark we are without her empress light
In the dark we are without a light
Half asleep we are calmly waiting through her night
Half asleep we wait till she arrives

Clouds of birds are covering her dark blue sky
Clouds of birds are covering her sky
A rush of wind is gently playing with their wings
and yellow stones are standing on her eyes

All rejoice is all we are when in her hands
All rejoice we are in her hands
Owl eyes her sun will rise and light the land
All rejoice we are in her hands

11   Fall (02:53)

Fallow casts and one's bone your bread
But when the night comes
Light of match
Will catch lay low leave
Or sing so long

Window spreads like cornfields in fall
She come by call
She leave no trace
She don't leave at all
Like cornfields in fall

So long finger new family
Would you lay with me?
And heard of a singer who wore ringlet hair
Won't you sing for me?
And so long snake'll stay low
And so long snake you stay low
So long snake you'll stay low
So long snake you stay low

12   Todo los Dolores (02:30)

Todos los Dolores ya se van
Y el grafitti dice Peter Pan
Y el zoologico de arcoiris
Arcoirá, arcoirá

En La mañana pienso en mi primo
Y todo lo español que desafino
Que dice cuando el sol sonrie
Sonreirá, sonreirá

Con tu cara de camello
Toma un bebé tan bello
Cada casa tiene llave
por no saber, por no saber

13   When the Sun Shone on Vetiver (03:34)

14   There Was Sun (01:31)

15   Insect Eyes (05:08)

16   Autumn's Child (02:39)

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