23-year-old Devendra Barnhart lives up to his name and that of the Young God Records label with the divine “Niño Rojo,” his second album of 2004. A companion piece to 2004’s “Rejoicing in the Hands,” (in fact released as a double album on vinyl) “Niño Rojo” showcases the versatility and full spectrum appeal of this talented and prolific singer/songwriter.
Two facets of the album really shine; Barnhart’s tremulous rich vibrato vocals that range from whispered out ballads to near Grace Slick-ish psychedelic caterwauling and the impressively complex picking and strumming of his guitar work. These elements stand strong on their own in the more acoustic tracks of the album while providing a perfect armature for more complex variations when harmonies and accompanying instruments are added.
The songs, all sixteen of them, are assembled from the same living room studio session that gave us ‘Rejoicing in the Hands.” Tracks range from pared down folk/blue grass inspired picking and strumming, like “Ay Mama” and “Little Yellow Spider” to some more orchestrated and produced recordings that careen and swagger with inebriating choruses and guitar work as the album builds itself into an ecstatic hootenanny. “At the Hop,” a duet of sorts with Barnhart’s friend Andy Cabic of Vetiver is an intoxicatingly light tune with Simon and Garfunkel-like harmonies making the song tickle in a way more like joyful laughter than music (Check out the bonus video!). “Noah,” “The Good Red Road,” and “Be Kind,” build on this swirl of harmonies with sing-along catchiness and amazingly rich accompaniment of tambourines, harmonica, strings, and percussive elements. Songs like “A Ribbon,” “We All Know, ” “My Ships,” and “Sister” occur as more acoustic counterpoints through the album and sway on a loose line of influences; Spanish classical, bluegrass, country, and old time rock n’ roll. Lynn Bridges does well to utilize vintage recording gear, capturing the scratchy spontaneity of Barnhart’s raw vocal talents.
To get a good sample of the versatility of this young performer, compare the simple acoustic expressiveness of “Water may Walk” to the complex layering of “HorseheadedfleshWizard”. In “water May Walk,” a beautiful folk ballad, only Barnhart’s fretwork and occasional bells accentuate the timbre of his voice. “Flesh Wizard” begins with complex picking and strumming overlain with Native American or Peruvian flute. The song builds into a truly inspired work reminiscent of San Francisco psychedelic folk of the late sixties and early seventies.
“Niño Rojo” ends exuberantly with “Electric Heart,” a perfect blend of the simple power of Barnhart’s unique voice and the joyful complexity of accompaniments and harmonies that lend a celebrational quality to the album as a whole. Song after song, “Niño Rojo” delivers an enjoyable and complex listening experience well worth you getting your hands on it. |