Devendra Banhart - Nino Rojo

With Nino Rojo San Francisco Bay Area neo-folkster Devendra Banhart brings forth a companion to his acclaimed Rejoicing In The Hands, released earlier in 2004. Sitting barefoot by the metaphorical campfire next to Beck, Tiny Tim, Karen Dalton, and Vincent Gallo, Banhart plays acoustic guitar and sings in a manner that's quirky, catchy, and a bit spooky. Here the tunes range from loopy ditties ("We All Know"), warbled mantras ("Ay Mama"), and half-crooned/half-whispered sing-alongs ("A Ribbon") to works that include a little help from his likeminded friends, including Vetiver's Andy Cabic ("At the Hop").

"Little Yellow Spider" comes off like a perverse Raffi record, as interpreted by Mississippi Fred McDowell. Later, Banhart channels the vocals of both Blind Willie McTell and Marc Bolan for "Noah," which includes whistling and a mournful piano. The enhanced CD presents a great, "psychedelicized" video of Devendra and friends jamming on "At the Hop," which will surely cause pleasant flashbacks for anyone who's ever spent a weekend in a woodsy cabin full of hippies.