Life after 30 finds the original freak folker putting away hippy-dippy things. Meet Devendra Banhart Version 2.0: shorn, showered, shaved, engaged, focused and wearing a shirt. He’s also making the finest music of his career. New album Mala (Nonesuch) is the best thing he’s done since his debut. Guest appearances are few and far between, so what comes through is the thing that’s always been Banhart’s greatest asset: himself. He will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our recent print cover story on him.
Banhart: Forrest Bess was a painter. His works were beguiling, shadowy landscapes; thought-form arias, oblique and bleak; mercurial messages from a a fascinating visionary with an amazing story. Thank you to Chris Fallon for exposing me to Bess’s world.
Video after the jump.
