DEVENDRA BANHART

Flying Wig (Mexican Summer)

Devendra Banhart accrued a big cult following, starting 20 years ago or so, as a kind of psychedelic, modern-day Cat Stevens. From Cripple Crow, and other early releases on the UK’s XL Records, through to 2019’s fantastic Ma on Nonesuch, Banhart has managed to expand his sound without losing his signature style or becoming in any way boring. Now signed to another label, Mexican Summer, Banhart has taken a big departure into more ambient territory and the results are very underwhelming.

Produced by Cate Le Bon, and sounding distinctly Welsh indie as a result – no bad thing – Flying Wig is devoid of the usual charm and playfulness of Banhart’s most endearing material: only Twin stands out, conjuring Kate Bush vibes through its guitar and bass parts. Elsewhere there’s simply not enough engaging content to grip the listener. As Banhart puts it in Nun: “Running out of legs on a pathway of my design.”

words JOHN-PAUL DAVIES