Folk singer/songwriter Devendra Banhart released his ninth album “Ape In Pink Marble” on Sept. 23. The album is a combination of mellow psych-folk and bizarre humor. At its best it’s oddly touching, at its worst it’s either too dull or too absurd.
The song “Good Time Charlie” is a definite high point, opening with lo-fi acoustic fingerpicking that could be compared to Iron and Wine. Banhart eases his way into the song, gently crooning—at times almost talking—in a way that could be compared to Gene Ween of the band Ween.
The lyrics of many of the songs on the record are vague but intriguing. One particular verse sticks in my head more than most: “Me and my policeman/Pulling over everyone one we can/Sometimes I breathalyze/And he gives the DUIs/Ask myself once or twice/Is it love or just blood in his eyes?”
Sung to the song’s pretty, almost longing melody, the verse is strangely catchy. Little marimbas tinkle in the background throughout the song. However, at the song’s conclusion, he sings “the end” as a bizarre, jagged synth sound pounds away for the concluding five seconds.
This song exemplifies where Banhart’s eccentricities both serve and detract from his music. At times, they can leave you intrigued and wanting more, but at others they can leave you either bored or confused as to why the good music had stopped.
It is also in this way that Banhart’s music is reminiscent of Ween’s. Commonly thought of as sort of a comedic band, that group still retains the ability to be sincere and have emotional depth, while simultaneously parodying a style or genre in a tongue-in-cheek way.
On this album, Devendra Banhart could be thought of as the inverse of this style. The album is primarily comprised of genuine songs, but at times incorporates oddities to add color, while still retaining a genuine emotional impact. It basically comes down to whether Banhart’s little eccentricities make sense in context.
For example, the album starts with two beautiful ballads (“Middle Names” and “Good Time Charlie,”) that are followed by two more decent, upbeat songs. All of them are heartfelt, and although strange at times, still uphold sincere, heartfelt emotions.
Then “Fancy Man,” with lines like “I’ve got a dumb dance inside my pants man/I’ve watched all the latest shows on Bing Bong/I rode a gift horse into town/Free subscriptions all around/You look like you could use a night in heaven,” comes along. Granted, the song is novel enough to retain interest, but instead of the goofs being subtle within the song, the song becomes the goof itself.
This continues with “Fig in Leather” which has the lines “Hello, is that you?/Come right in, have a seat/Remove your shoes, enjoy some fruits/Did I mention “have a seat”/I’m real high-tech authority/That’s right, I’m quite an ace/I’m cutting edge, I think you look great/Have you seen my karaokes?”
Though the album’s first few tracks are totally sincere, with some strange elements peppered in, these two tracks make it unclear how many of these lyrical and musical eccentricities Banhart is just putting on, and how many of them are natural.
What works for Ween, who has maintained a cult following for more than a decade, in being absurd is the fact that they are so versatile. Although the content of Ween’s songs borders on nonsense, it produces so many different types of music that the band’s output constantly stays interesting.
“Ape In Pink Marble” has a lot of quality material, but what keeps it from being a gripping listen through and through is the fact that it occasionally takes initially exciting left turns that wind up leading nowhere.
Benjamin Lutkevich can be reached at [email protected].
