Devendra Banhart - the Black Babies

Over the past few years, Devendra Banhart has worked hard to earn his reputation as the number one hippie poet of the underground music scene. On his batch of melancholy songs that explore themes of loneliness, desire and endless wandering, the indie king continues to excite on his EP The Black Babies (Young God Records).

American-born Banhart (named Devendra by an Indian mystic) spent his childhood in gypsy-like fashion, living with his mother for years on the outskirts of the mean streets of Venezuela until they landed back in Los Angeles, California. The aspiring artist and songwriter attended the San Francisco Art Institute before dropping out and spending time as a homeless wanderer.

It's no surprise than that his experiences on the road to somewhere have had a profound influence on his music. "Onward the Indian" pays tribute to the constant traveler who is always on the way, yet never quite arrives. It's the kind of road song that, in keeping with Banhart's trippie vibe, would have fit perfectly on the soundtrack for Easy Rider. Traveling gets another go around on the wistful, regret-tinged song "The Charles C. Leary". A lone passenger, trapped on an island, is left with nothing to do except catalogue the things and people lost along the way.

Banhart also seems to be a lover of all things mystical. "Bluebird", with its rough homemade quality, has "Welcome to the 1960s!" written all over it both lyrically and musically. Featuring the singer's smoky haunting vocals and shimmering acoustic work, it's easy to imagine spontaneous Summer of Love-style sit-ins popping up whenever and wherever he appears.

"Cosmos & Demos" is a stunning exercise in conveying mood and emotion. As a haunting slightly sad guitar riff fades into something darker, it becomes clear that we're in for some kind of strange trip that we probably didn't' pack correctly for. What follows is a magical if slightly foreboding tale.

"The only thing you taught me is the only thing you know," chants Banhart and it's both an angry accusation and a weary acceptance of the limitations of relationships where giving and receiving are never found in equal balanced amounts.

Trying his hand at the out and out bizarre, the pied piper of hipsters scores again. "Surgery I Stole" is both maddening and captivating at the same time. Even if you get the sense that the singer is pulling your leg as you lean into this hushed song searching for deep meaning, it's still impossible to dismiss or write off the track as merely pretentious. Instead, what Banhart manages to do is create an atmosphere where there is always something more to discover.

Devendra Banhart may be a consummate traveler on the road to somewhere and even if his destination is not always clear, it is guaranteed that he'll be working his brand of strange magic on many a listener along the way. Step inside his world if you dare - sometimes it's dark and haunted and other times it shimmers and shines. Whether or not you'd want to live there is debatable, but it's an intriguing place to visit.