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Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Rejoicing In The Hands
Universal acclaim
Based on 21 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 16 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Young God
Release Date: 04 May 2004
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Indie, Rock, Singer-Songwriter
Summary
The second LP from the New York-based artist/musician/crazy hippie Devendra Banhart (who studied at the San Francisco Art Institute) includes 16 of the 32 lo-fi tracks recorded in the living room of veteran recording engineer Lynn Bridges. The remaining 16 will be released on a separate album later in 2004.
Also By This Artist: Cripple Crow Niño Rojo Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
Also On The Web: DB @ Young God Records
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Tiny Mix Tapes
Anyone who can sit down in such a short period of time and write this many unique songs has to have something abnormally genius working inside.
Read Full Review >Drowned In Sound
Banhart is a complete antidote to all the consumer focus groups or hit-writers, too scared to tamper with the formula. He has stumbled upon a personal Eureka that says there're no laws governing what can be written about in song except self-imposed ones and he's taken that to his heart, and in Technicolor.
Read Full Review >Mojo
A nearly flawless set of left-field folk. [Jun 2004, p.106]
Splendid
The music is just as pure and personal and unintermediated as before, but it sounds better in every conceivable way.
Read Full Review >Neumu.net
The combination of timeless songs, superb production and Banhart's often mesmerizing performance make for a very strong album.
Read Full Review >Dusted Magazine
Granted, there will be some that cling to the lo-fi eccentricities of that debut, but while Oh Me Oh My... may have won him heaps of critical praise, Rejoicing in the Hands is the album that backs it all up.
Read Full Review >PopMatters
The 16 songs that appear on Rejoicing in the Hands, are so striking in their sound and so original, that no producer could've have imagined them. If anything, they affirm Devendra Banhart as one of the most unique musical talents to emerge in quite some time.
Read Full Review >Flak Magazine
Banhart ceaselessly entrances with his brilliant combination of John Fahey-esque pickings, absurd and sometimes profoundly resonating lyrics and the craft to convey both kinds with equal candor.
Read Full Review >ShakingThrough.net
Rejoicing in the Hands is a remarkable album, and Banhart displays a range and gift for melody that belies his twenty-three years.
Read Full Review >Pitchfork
Rejoicing in the Hands establishes Banhart as a major voice in new folk music. Not only does it improve on the promise of his earlier releases; it effortlessly removes the listener from the context of the recording.
Read Full Review >No Ripcord
A work of art, slightly rough around the edges and a little makeshift, but tremendously beautiful all the same.
Read Full Review >Uncut
Banhart's free-flowing oddness makes most musical eccentrics seem self-conscious and predictable. [Jun 2004, p.90]
Q Magazine
Even more mesmeric and deep into Nick Drake territory: intense and slightly damaged. [Jun 2004, p.94]
The Wire
Banhart mixes a relaxed bearing and a tense vocal delivery in a fascinating manner. [#245, p.51]
Junkmedia
Rejoicing in the Hands finds Banhart developing past his early lo-fi recordings in favor of a crisper, more succinct sound that highlights his intricate guitar picking.
Read Full Review >Stylus Magazine
If Oh Me Oh My was Devendra’s stunning introduction to the wide musical landscape, then Rejoicing in the Hands further marks his emergence as the most unique and important new voice in the music today.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly
Though his second CD has a charming Ambrose Bierce quality to it, a little goes a long way.
Read Full Review >Blender
Lost in an eerie, graceful torpor, he opens his mouth and lets words seep out and linger, like so much intoxicating smoke.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 8.7 (out of 10) based on 16 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Kevin K gave it a9:
Combine Antony's (from Antony and the Johsnons) over-the-top vibrato with the subdued spoken-word delivery of Iron & Wine or Sufjan Stevens, and you'll get an idea of what Devendra Banhart sounds like. His songs display an irreverent narrative that make each "listen" enjoyable. I recommend this album to any fan of Iron & Wine, The Castanets, or Sufjan Stevens. "Indie-Folk" is back in vogue, and Devendra Banhart is one of the main reasons why. Listen for yourself and see.
Darrin S gave it a9:
I actually gave it a 8.5, but these things dont allow decimals and Ive always been taught to round up. A great album. Great music thats not distracting. If you want to just chill with it, youre more than welcome to. It makes good background music, and if you choose to hang on his every word and note, it never dissapoints.
Kurt F gave it a 10:
I get a lot of shit from friends for digging Devendra's stuff. "He looks like Jesus," they'd say, or "why are you listening to this sad bastard crap." But the point is Devendra is good, and you don't have to like his stuff to notice this. This is a 'solid' album, and I don't throw 'solid' around lightly. Although his finger picking riffs and chords are often very repeditive it's exactly what you want to hear.
JP Costa gave it a 10:
Amazing stuff. It's not really the Nick Draking picking patterns or the amazing Marc Bolanesque singing. It's all about music from outter space, a voice not aware of its genuine beauty and (that was missing in his previous record) a production that really uplifts the quality of the songs. Along with Wilco's «a ghost is born» and Stephin Merritts «i», the record of the year so far (but let's wait for AMC comeback...)
John W gave it a 5:
A few interesting moments, but overall, the guy who called this "twee" was right on the money. It's an insult to Jeff Buckley to say that Banhart sounds like him: he's got nowhere near JB's vocal prowess or edge. Banhart is a rockcrit bandwagon right now, but his sub-par evocation of early Marc Bolan doesn't produce much in the way of memorable songs: I expect the rockcrits will be on to the next flavor of the month by the time Banhart releases another album.
meg t gave it a 10:
Beautiful. His voice i soften reminiscent of Jeff Buckley, and his circles are hypnotic.
