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Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
by Devendra Banhart
The latest album from the Texas-based artist includes guest appearances by Gael Garc�a Bernal, Nick Valensi of The Strokes, and Rodrigo Amarante of Los Hermanos.
| LABEL: |
Beggars Xl |
| RELEASE DATE: |
25 September 2007 |
| DISCS: |
1 disc |
| GENRE(S): |
Rock, Folk |
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...
90
BBC collective
it's great to hear Banhart playing outside of type, and the swagger and muscle occasionally at work suit him surprisingly well.
90
Tiny Mix Tapes
The consistently laudable performances and production of Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon make for something that appears effortless and remains engaging throughout its 70-plus-minute runtime.
85
Prefix Magazine
Smokey Rolls down Thunder Canyon may be his best so far.
83
Entertainment Weekly
At 72 minutes, his fifth release is too long and needlessly precious at times. [28 Sep 2007, p.106]
80
musicOMH.com
For aficionados of his gnomic genius, and there are many, this new collection provides further reasons to invest time and money in his eclectic works.
80
All Music Guide
Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon is many things--perhaps too many things, but its successes outnumber its failures, and it essentially solves the problems inherent in confining a freeform singer to time signatures and arrangements and rhythms imposed by outsiders.
80
Observer Music Monthly
'My Dearest Friend' ("I am going to die of loneliness I know / I am going to die of loneliness for sure") is among the most tender tunes that Banhart has produced.
80
Uncut
When it ends, the impression of Devendra Banhart that stays with you is of the artful songsmith, finding a confidence to express himself in something other than riddles.
80
No Ripcord
Smokey is lengthy, as are all of Banhart’s albums, but make it to the last track and the reward is reminiscent of Banhart’s infallible 2004 album, "Rejoicing in the Hands."
80
Boston Globe
This trippy collection spans Brazilian Tropicalia, '60s psychedelia, classic rock, blissed-out pop, gospel, and a new genre that might be called Hebrew doo-wop--a ridiculous range of styles, but one that works under Banhart's expansive, expressive umbrella
80
PopMatters
Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon is another very fine achievement in the still young, but immensely satisfying and always intriguing, career of Devendra Banhart.
80
Hot Press
With big choruses, pristine production values, sing-alongs, and much lovelorn balladry could it be that Devendra Banhart is about to cross over?
80
Magnet
The more he pushes these various personas, the less sense we expect him to make and the more rewarding he becomes. [Fall 2007, p.90]
80
Alternative Press
You may need subtitles to truly grasp the psychedelic splendor of Devendra Banhart's Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon. [Nov 2007, p.174]
75
The Onion (A.V. Club)
On his fifth album, Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon, Banhart embraces his role as a poet and a jester in equal measure.
74
Filter
Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon is like ten Van Dyke Parks song cycles ground into mush.
70
Dot Music
Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon is a feel good record for what's left of this 'summer' and even though it's packed with second hand magic and joy, such charms probably won't wear past the depths of winter, unless you truly are a hippy at heart.
70
Rolling Stone
There's nothing minimal about the music, which is cleanly produced, smartly textured hippie shamble.
70
Dusted Magazine
This is Devendra Banhart...eclectic and whimsical and poking genres with a stick to see if they'll bite. It's a little mad, a lot overstuffed, and probably a degree or two calculated.
65
Pitchfork
It's not so much that the quality varies, but that a bloated, lethargic feel permeates the record.
60
Spin
This is Barnhart's least discursive outing yet. As a result, it's also his most predictable. [Oct 2007, p.108]
60
Mojo
'I Remember' and 'My Dearest Friend' are intimate, sad and soft.... More songs like these, and he would have a classic album on his hands. [Oct 2007, p.98]
60
Blender
Coherence dissolves over the album's spawl of 72 minutes and 16 songs. Barnhart can still be quietly metaphysical now and then, yet too often he settles for a less lovable tie-dyed legacy: cutsiness. [Oct 2007, p.106]
60
Drowned In Sound
On fifth album Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon the cast expands again to include erstwhile Strokes guitarists and movie stars, and at points you’re left pining for the eccentric acoustic phrasings of yore.
60
New Musical Express
The main problem with '...Thunder Canyon' though is it's long - 72 minutes long - which suggests when Banhart let his muse fly free, he forgot to keep a check on his ego, too. At its best, this is subtle, touching, beautiful. At its worst, it's meandering and smug. You're entertained, but unsettled.
60
Under The Radar
Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon, his fifth proper album, is perhaps Banhart’s most frustrating album to date. [Fall 2007, p.78]
60
Q Magazine
Intriguing though Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon is, it remains unclear how he and his peculiar talent will thrive out there. [Oct 2007, p.104]
59
cokemachineglow
Sure, Banhart executes the truncated verse spectacularly, but he doesn't give his listeners enough time to love him.
50
Stylus Magazine
Banhart's efforts to expand himself have left him woefully unable to play to his strengths in the rare occasions he bothers with them.
40
Austin Chronicle
His lyrics, a strength in the past (most notably on 'Oh Me Oh My'), seem just plain tossed off, when they're in English, and he seems caught between tuning in and dropping out.
40
The Guardian
Banhart's voice is insurmountable. When he's mugging up, it's unbearable; when he's not, it's unmemorable.
40
Slant Magazine
On Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon, however, Banhart comes across as an attention whore; the mannered, look-what-I-can-do kook act overshadows his actual talent.
30
The Wire
Only after wading through the swamp to the final three tracks do we get anything approaching sincerity, albeit of a cloying kind. [Oct 2007, p.55]
20
NOW Magazine
Rather than the thoughtful songcraft and inspired peformances of Banhart's pre-Roberts Young God recordings, what you hear now is the zoned-out noodling of someone who foolishly believes his own genius hype.
The average user rating for this album is 7.4 (out of 10) based on 24 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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