Oh Me Oh My...The Way the Day Goes By the Sun Is Setting Dogs Are Dreaming Lovesongs of the Christmas Spirit

iTunes Review

The 2002 debut of future Freak-Folk leader Devendra Banhart is everything one has come to expect from the genre. Singing into a home recording unit, Banhart sounds as if his voice is coming back at us on a faulty system, wowing and fluttering with its oddly timed double-tracked vocals. Tracks such as “Roots,” “The Charles C. Leary,” “Nice People…” and “Michigan State” establish a childlike enthusiasm that recalls the Moldy Peaches at their pre-school best. The lyrics range from bizarre stream-of-consciousness to absurd allegories of the human flesh. Imagine Donovan taking his flower to the garden and surrendering to Syd Barrett’s elliptical thought patterns (“Pumpkin Seeds”). The music has a smooth folk intimacy. “Animals…” is gently stroked as it quickly leads to the otherworldly sounding “Cosmos and Demos.” “Soon Is Good” bounces with a ghostly T.Rex-like hook. Many of the tracks last for little more than a minute, acting as preludes to other pieces or as brief dreams where no one can be sure what has just happened. Banhart’s music is either an acquired taste or something for people who enjoy chasing inscrutable fantasies to their conclusion.