Listening to Devendra Banhart’s newest record, “What Will We Be,” reminded me of an exchange between Doug Funnie and an exchange student named Fentruck. After asking Doug to “letterize” a piece of correspondence for him, Fentruck offers up a piece of his homeland in return:
“And for you, this: a souvenir from my native land.”
“A jar?”
“A yar of the rarest air from the top of Mount Ludneboba in Yakistonia. … Go Doog, before my eyes begin to leak!”
In much the same way, Banhart has bottled his essence in the confines of about 50 minutes only to have the rest of the world unseal the lid and let the air blend with their own. While on previous releases Banhart was known to take samples from many far-reaching locales, this batch begins fairly homogenous. He’s settled down in a valley of chill, where before he was doing cartwheels across a rickety bridge above the clouds and not feeling the least bit out of place.
The strange absence of weird is noticeable immediately in the sunny opener “Can’t Help But Smiling.” It frolics across a major key with warm surf-twang guitar and tinkling, tinny piano in tow. Banhart’s voice employs very little of its trademark fragility but rather lollingly stretches out syllables in a lower register.
The second track, “Angelika,” comes hot on the heels of the first song leaving stage right. It signals a sort of seasonal change that is carried through the next handful of songs that make up the A side.
What began as a joyous, albeit laid-back trip through a temperate climate, starts to wane. These first few are hammock songs to be sure, but they soon transition to a string of cooler tracks ending with “Chin Chin & Muck Muck,” a jazzy number that lazily rolls by. Its slow, brushes-on-snare, horn-swabbed first section could very well roast chestnuts on an open fire.
Surprisingly, the B side takes a turn for the worst decade in music: the 80s. As it’s devoid of electronics and treated with the same keen production carried through this release – which breaks from Banhart’s on the whole lo-fi oeuvre – the tune “16th & Valencia, Roxy Music” is saved in some ways. Still, it’s an obvious scapegoat for diehard fans spewing the “sellout” designation.
“Rats” finds Banhart in the groove, bass-heavy and howling. It’s a definite standout, even if the first half is a lengthy setup for a change of pace at the 3 1/2-minute mark.
It should be noted that a couple other selections also break open in such a way in the latter half only to return to the main theme in the final seconds. It’s a refreshing take on song structure that adds a much-needed facet on a surprisingly cohesive effort.
Later tracks, like the three-part harmony-driven “Maria Leonza” and the closer “Foolin’” – well-suited for Mel’s Drive-In – are glinting pieces of gold in an otherwise clear stream winding down the record.
But overall, longtime listeners are likely to bristle at first at the normalcy Banhart seems to inhabit on “What We Will Be.” For me, it’s a welcome change for now, but for others, it’s as if Fentruck from “Doug” suddenly lost his accent, stopped being homesick for Yakistonia and gave up yodeling for something more accessible.
As shown in this review, esoteric references and general weirdness are easy traps to fall into, and sometimes, normal is the road less traveled. As far as I’m concerned, Banhart better save me a seat in the tour van.
michaeltodd@dailynebraskan.com
Grade: B+
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