Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
by Devendra Banhart
Metascore
69

Generally favorable reviews - based on 34 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 34
  3. Negative: 2 out of 34
  1. Austin Chronicle
    40
    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.
  2. Blender
    60
    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]
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  3. cokemachineglow
    59
    Sure, Banhart executes the truncated verse spectacularly, but he doesn't give his listeners enough time to love him.
  5. Drowned In Sound
    60
    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.
  6. Mojo
    60
    '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]
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  7. New Musical Express (NME)
    60
    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.
  8. Q Magazine
    60
    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]
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  9. Slant Magazine
    40
    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.
  10. Spin
    60
    This is Barnhart's least discursive outing yet. As a result, it's also his most predictable. [Oct 2007, p.108]
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  11. Stylus Magazine
    50
    Banhart's efforts to expand himself have left him woefully unable to play to his strengths in the rare occasions he bothers with them.
  12. The Guardian
    40
    Banhart's voice is insurmountable. When he's mugging up, it's unbearable; when he's not, it's unmemorable.
  13. Under The Radar
    60
    Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon, his fifth proper album, is perhaps Banhart’s most frustrating album to date. [Fall 2007, p.78]
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User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 33 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 33
  3. Negative: 3 out of 33
  1. MusicxxAddicted
    Apr 14, 2013
    7
    After "Cripple Crow", Devendra takes the inevitable turn into psychedelic rock and it certainly is a hard turn. For those who endure, however,After "Cripple Crow", Devendra takes the inevitable turn into psychedelic rock and it certainly is a hard turn. For those who endure, however, the satisfaction is the greatest. All in all, a fine album that bridges the change from "Rejoicing In The Hands" (which was kinda trippy already) to "What Will We Be".… Full Review »
  2. KateM
    Apr 2, 2011
    6
    Feels a bit directionless and seems to be an experiment. The songs don't really fit as a whole- Lover is a fabulous song, but is completelyFeels a bit directionless and seems to be an experiment. The songs don't really fit as a whole- Lover is a fabulous song, but is completely out of place. Individually, all the songs are great, especially the salient Shabop Shalom and the playful Tonada Yanomanista, but as a collective, it's a bit jolty and uncertain.… Full Review »
  3. Gus
    Dec 12, 2007
    9
    Amazing.
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