Cripple Crow is Devendra Banhart's new release of artful alternative folk songs. His distinctive voice has drawn comparisons to a disparate list that includes Billie Holiday and Tiny Tim.
Banhart's music blends West Coast grooves with a lo-fi sound that gives his lyrics sincerity and authority. The results lie somewhere on the arc from Bob Dylan to Beck. Songs like "I Feel Just Like a Child," while steeped in a sense of innocence, focus on questions any adult would find difficult to answer.
Cripple Crow is the latest stopping point for Banhart, who has spent his life on the move: Texas; Venezuela; San Francisco; Los Angeles; Paris; New York. Now he's on the road again, playing music.
Copyright 2005 XPN
