The presence of "The Hairy Fairies," and a hoard of different instruments in their hands, ensure that outings such as these are continuously fleshed out and kept as lively, vibrant affairs. "Lazy Butterfly," for example, features an intoxicating blend of Sitar and Eastern percussion with an inter-lacing harmony falling between Banhart and close friend Andy Cabic (of Vetiver). It's a partnership capable of cooking up the likes of a whispered yet swinging Latin rhythm, wriggling through the dirt like a snake on "Quetante Luna," or as on "I Do Dig a Certain Girl," capturing the same caressing, candle-lit magic associated with the pair's "wyrd-folk" contemporaries - just the kind found on Banhart's wonderful compilation "Golden Apples of the Sun."
In other places, the full-bodied, up-tempo sound that the Fairies bring to the mix makes proceedings feel like an outright party; fun and imaginative, the likes of "I Feel Like a Child" and "Chinese Children" are indicative of a new direction Banhart is intent on exploring, "Space Reggae" - folk you can dance to. Similarly, while light-hearted musings "The Beatles" and "Dragonflies" catch Banhart and company making brief but quirky stopovers mid-way through, "Little Boys," on the other hand, is thoroughly tongue in cheek. With the help of Georgeson's lead guitar (which, throughout the album, has lent some fine slides and subtle fret-work), Banhart embarks on a soulful dose of throaty crooning on the subject of a schizophrenic hermaphrodite. Although it all sounds slightly out of character, half-way in, a bass-line inspired by the old soul classic "I Will Follow Him" (made famous by Little Peggy March) arrives, bringing with it Cripple Crow's second foray into doo-wop while dropping the eyebrow-raising lines "I see so many…little boys I want to marry," perhaps intentionally ensuring that the album will never be played publicly in certain corporate chains. The album's closing number, "Woman," a solo affair quietly played out on the piano and feeling almost elegiac in tone, brings things to a halt like an eloquent after-thought, a romantic full-stop on an album that sounds like the recording process was one to remember.
Article comments
1 - Michael J. West
"Nu-Folk"? I thought we were supposed to call it "freak-folk"?
2 - Andrew
Nu-folk, wyrd-folk, freak-folk, acid folk...there's a new term every week. I don't think we're "supposed" to call it anything, just whatever feels right at the time!
Great article by the way, really nice work
3 - Temple Stark
Music Editor Matt picked this his pick of the week. Go HERE to find out why. and thank you very much.