Devendra Banhart — Ma | Review
Devendra Banhart was known as the freaky folk music creator early in his career. The flamboyant way he dressed and his often eastern inspired looks with his wild long hair and beard all on top of his unique blend of hippy-esque sounds made him stand out among a sea of creators. In recent years, Devendra has toned down his look and continued to make his own brand of folk music. Reading his interview with Office Magazine really gave me a connection with him. His sensitive demeanor reminds me of one of my dear friends. Banhart originally comes from Venezuela and came to the states when in high school. His first name is a synonym for Indra, the Indian god of rain, which was suggested by Prem Rawat, the religious leader of the religion his parents followed. This provides a lot of context to many of the Indian imagery used in some of his earlier music videos and albums. His middle name, Obi, comes from the Star Wars character Obi-Won Kenobi, so I can see where he gets his creative freeform viewpoint from. It’s no wonder he has been associated with other unique acts such as Joanna Newsom and CocoRosie. The theme of his most recent release, Ma, revolves around paternal/maternal energy towards a child. Devendra relates this to his own urges to want to have children of his own, his depression over maybe never achieving this goal, and all the things he would tell a younger version of himself. He blends Spanish, Portuguese, English, and even Japanese in the various songs here. His gentle delivery comes off very sweetly. There’s a warm fragility to his voice throughout the album than to me feels very soothing. Having listened to some of his more energetic earlier efforts, it would very nice to hear this side of him. Sit down, grab a warm cup of herbal tea, and let’s listen to Ma.
“Is This Nice” starts us off softly with a tone of maternal lullaby. The strings and backing instruments echo this softness. Banhart begins with the words, “Is this nice? Do you like it?/ Ooh, would you like/ Me to sing you this song?”, that swaddle you in the air of security. The song let’s the child know that though there maybe tough and lonely times, he will always be near. Devendra encourages the child to be strong but not be afraid to show his emotions, “Eyes floating above/ What will soon be all cloud/ Tear in your eye/ Yes, this is allowed/ But you cannot give up/ Music yet to be made/ Must be you who’s the bridge”. It’s quite touching the way that he goes about weaving this tale to a child. Like Devendra says in his Bandcamp page for the album, this really does feel like all the things you want to say to a child.
“Kantori Ongaku” blends both English and Japanese lyrics. I love the electric guitar here. The indie folk rock sound is boosted to the next level with saxophones. We circle around all forms of love through this song’s length. Banhart begins with the optimistic and honestly hopeful love to that of a new born child. We then bounce to the sexual love of say a musician or hippie, which Devendra states maybe the only form of love some of us knows. We juxtapose that against the many tragedies that Banhart has in his personal life that have made him much more insular as of late, “All the death in my house makes it easy to shop online/ Where the signal is strong and the tech flows like wine/ And I know you’ve traveled far but you still where you are”. We finally head on the notion of love lost (like that of wanted an old lover back after they’ve moved on) and the feeling of finally getting a pinch of love (which Banhart compares to a mummy after 3000 years finally being able to smile). I really like this song quite a bit.
“Ami” continues the very touching display of parental love towards a child. The wash of piano, saxophones, guitar, and synths give the song a more of a warm gentle breeze that caresses you. There is a protective energy about the song that feels very maternal. The lines, “I saw you gently weep/ And now I wanna be a lion/ Curled up at your feet/ Something to rely on” make your heart swell as you can see this unconditional love and urge to make sure this child is safe always. These words still feel poignant as an adult who only wants security from the one they love. There is the same urge to keep going that’s never harsh, but encouraging, as Banhart ends off the song, “For now you’ve got to keep on playing even though/ Nobody comes to the show/ Someday this will all disappear/ So share your song while you’re here/ And I’ll be in the sunlight/ Ever near”.
“Memorial” is a very moving look at loss. The main focus of the song is Devendra’s soft vocals. The horns and other instruments are just in the distance aside from Banhart’s acoustic guitar and the piano. The theme here appears to be mourning the loss of someone very dear after suicide. Banhart’s words, “Can you hear me?/ Did you mean it?/ Did you plan it out?/ Or was it an accident?”, echo the many questions one would have at such an abrupt loss of someone very near and dear. Devendra never comes off as angry or spiteful, only loving and tender towards the memory of this person. His sweet demeanor adds another layer of sullenness to track. He wishes he could have seen all the love the person was receiving at their memorial. The imagery of seeing this person in their last moments is heartbreaking. We work through our way to grieve, “Now that there’s no need to say a word/ Can I still make amends?/ But silence, the only kindness I heard/ Forgiveness, the only revenge/ Meeting all of the people/ I’ve heard of from your past/ Reading through all of your letters/ Looking for your love”. This is an extremely touching song that I think is brilliantly written.
“Carolina” is sung completely in Portuguese. Devendra’s guitar and vocals take you gently away into the space of this song. Because I can’t read or comprehend Portuguese, I am going to have to relay on my good friend Google translate to provide me with a helping hand. Unfortunately, I think some of the lyrical content gets lost in translation. Carolina seems to be the woman that has captured Devendra’s heart. She has a dangerous kind of beauty, as compared to a bird of prey or the vine of Bougainvillea. His admiration for her appears to have him ready to worship at her feet. The ending line shows Banhart’s self-awareness of some of the language barrier that may exist here, “Eu deveria aprender português, algum dia (I should learn Portuguese someday)”.
“Now All Gone” the song is sparsely populated sonically. The bass and percussion taking the spotlight of most of the song. It will occasionally blossom into wash of strings that will bloom and close rather quickly. The song traces around the feelings of lost dreams, which I feel revolve around Devendra’s fleeting dreams of being a father. Banhart’s hopeless feeling still feel add an air of hope in his opening lines, “I was amazed today/ Bad quality/ In the future with all/ It’s empty seats/ I’ve never had no real/ Sci-fi insight”. There is a self awareness that mindsets change and sometimes you have to let go of control and desire to see what you really need.
“Love Song” is as it is titled. I love the mellow nature of this track. The horns, woodwinds, and soft bassline give this ode to love a sweet little groove. Banhart sees the love that his lover and him share as otherworldly and heavenly. The allusions of flying and falling, providing this sense of both danger and excitement that love can bring. Devendra wants his lover to share in this feeling, “And now we’re in the clouds/ Looking around/ What do you see? Infinity/ Flashing all around”. Through these etherial feelings, there is also a sense of sacredness to their connection. The ending lines of the song readily display Banhart’s gratitude to be permitted into their world, “Lend your body to yourself/ An extension of the home you only show yourself/ Leave your body to yourself/ An expression of the home I found nowhere else/ Love like falling / Without ever landing”.
“Abre Las Manos” is completely sung in Spanish. Unfortunately, I will need to break out my handy companion Google Translate again to help me out here. Devendra’s guitar provides a beautiful Spanish flare that gets blostered by the backing of creamy strings and glowing electric guitar.The imagery of song blends that of parent to a child as well and some of the current social and economic issues of his home country Venezuela. The opening gives us these beautiful heavenly comparisons of this child’s birth to that of creation in general, “Open your wings the world awaits you (Abre las alas el mundo te espera)/ A surprise that God keeps you (Una sorpresa que Dios te guarda)/ Open your hands, heaven keeps you (Abre las manos el cielo te guarda)/ A gift that is only for you (Un regalito que es solo pa’ ti)/ The green of your hair (El verde de tu pelo)/ And the blue of your skin (Y el azul de tu piel)”. This loving language devolves as Devendra is shaken from his vision of this child to see the reality of life in Venezuela. He gives you the full idea of the deplorable and truly life threatening conditions that currently plague the country’s people, “Look at the line, twenty thousand hours (Mira la fila, veinte mil horas)/ There is my aunt waiting for her bread (Ahí está mi tía esperando su pan) / What percentage of people are hungry (Qué porcentaje de gente con hambre)/ It is necessary for something to change (Es necesario pa’ que algo cambie) / Yesterday my neighbor was kidnapped (Ayer mi vecina fue secuestrada)”. He ends the track back at the soft loving language to this child. I get a full sense of heartbreak over both the people of Venezuela and his fleeting feelings over having children of his own.
“Taking a Page” apparently had some inspiration from Carole King, whom Banhart calls out in the song. The song has a more jaunty feel as with more upbeat guitars and keys along side Devendra’s soft joyous vocals. Banhart has stated this song is much more autobiographical about his life up to this moment now. He starts out by looking back at his own mistakes issues with his own identity. The lines, “And first they thank you by pulling out your tongue/ And you apologize for being where you’re from/ I could hear the animals painted on the cave”, show his internal struggle with his cultural and personal identity against that of everyone else around him. Devendra then looking internally at himself, “And I was taking a page from Carole King/ You’re so far away/ Doesn’t anybody stay?/ I was taking a page from remembering/ There’s so many things/ Right there under my skin”, which gives us our Carole King call out. We end off on in finding the best in the wordless moments and the true beauty around you. The final chorus gives us insight into the dreams of a domestic life and gender expression, “I was taking a page/ From my imaginary life/ Where I’m a good housewife/ Yeah that sounds nice/ I was taking a page/ From never feeling like I/ Was a girl or a guy/ But I had to try”.
“October 12” is the second song sung completely in Spanish on the album. Devendra’s Spanish guitar playing takes on a solemn almost jazzy vibe. The inclusion of strings and flutes give this dreary mournful tone. The song is a heartbreaking look at the loss of one’s mother. We begin in that terror filled misery of not knowing whether she will recover, remain in the state she’s in, or pass, “Tears without stopping (Lágrimas sin parar)/ I don’t know if you’re going to wake up (No sé si vas a despertar) /Or if this is how you will stay (O si así quedarás)/ Machine music (Música de máquinas)/ Helping you breathe (Ayudándote a respirar)”. The imagery of a rosary comes in, reminding me of someone feverishly praying for the recovery of their mother. In her comatose state, between living and dying, his desperation over reaching for her consciousness becomes extreme. The ending lines rack through you like silent sobs quaking through a grief stricken body, “Mother where are you? (¿Madre a dónde estás?)/ My body can’t take me anymore
(Mi cuerpo no me aguanta más)/ And i can’t escape (Y no puedo escapar)/ I can not escape (No puedo escapar)”.
“My Boyfriend’s in The Band” goes between Spanish and English, Spanish in the verses and English in the choruses. This is the one of the more bouncy upbeat tracks off the album. The horns and saxophones make you want to get up and dance. The song is reminiscent of some of Banhart’s older work, albeit with much more vocal delivery. The song appears to tell the story of a woman that falls for a man in a band and becomes pregnant. We begin with the joyous first love between the two, “The first (La primera)/ Time i saw you (Vez que te vi) / A blue sky (Un cielo azul)/ It opened up in me (Se abrió en mi)”. The song’s second verse is where the sexual tension between the two really begins to bloosom. The final verse in the song takes us to the woman’s pregnancy, “Third (La tercera) Disguise wheel (Rueda de disfraz) It is a river that (Es un río que)/ Run after (Corre pa’ tras)/ And later, later you will appear (Y más tarde, más tarde aparecerás)/ In ultra sound (En el sonido ultra). It’s a fun track, but not my favorite on the album.
“The Lost Coast” provides this aching guilt and sorrow over being in a different country from your family and not being able to help. The everyday activities that Banhart does in L.A. provide a big help to his family in Venezuela, “These last few days have been all rain here in L.A./ And I’ve got to go out and get/ Vitamins and books and chocolate/ To send my brother back home/ Where he’s healing from the surgery”. The pain of being away from family when they pass and the memories of them seem to haunt Devendra. The song’s title could be viewed two way: either the lost coast at the end of the world is the Venezuelan coastline due to the extreme oppression and lack of care of its people or the L.A. coast line where Devendra is and is unable to do anything. The glittering keys and hum of instruments give off the vibe of
“Will I See You Tonight?” ends out the album and features Vashti Bunyan. Here we are deep in a sense of yearning for someone that far away. Seeing the theme of a parent and child, the lyrics come off as Devendra’s desperate wish to have a child of his own. The opening lines provide some insight into this notion, “Will I see you tonight/ Been waiting my whole life?/ I’ve had this dream inside/ Of looking in your eyes”. This love he has for this child that does not exist is something he wishes was real so he could share it with the world. The song ends off with Banhart giving thought to the soul of this unborn child, “Your soul is where the light/ Goes begging door to door…”.
I thought this album was a beautiful and touching look at parenthood and maternal figures. I loved the very soft vocal takes that Devendra used throughout this entire project. There is also a very touching reverence for his family and the people of his home country of Venezuela. He created an album that’s a wonderfully soothing listen from front to back. I introduced this record to my husband who loved it’s gentle sound. I have ordered me a copy of the vinyl to have in my personal collection. Since the release of Ma, Banhart worked on a new project with Noah Georgeson entitled Refuge that is slated for release August 13th, 2021. I will checking this out as soon as it is released to see what his next project sounds like. I highly recommend this album to those looking to get into Devendra Banhart’s music or anyone who enjoys a nice alternative folk album. My favorites off this project are:
- “Is This Nice?”
- “Ami”
- “Memorial”
- “Kantori Ongaku”
- “Abre Las Manos”
- “Taking a Page”
My overall rating: 8.5 out of 10 warm hugs…
Devendra Banhart’s bandcamp: https://devendrabanhart.bandcamp.com/music
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