Mala (Devendra Banhart Album)

''Mala'' is the eighth studio album by American folk rock musician Devendra Banhart, released on March 12, 2013, on Nonesuch Records. The album was produced by Banhart and Noah Georgeson, and mastered by Greg Calbi.

Background

''Mala'' was produced by Banhart and Noah Georgeson, and mastered by Greg Calbi. Banhart's band members Noah Georgeson, Greg Rogove, Josiah Steinbrick, and Rodrigo Amarante helped him on the record.

Music and lyrics

Fred Thomas of AllMusic wrote that "instead of the overreaching, overly long confusion of previous efforts, Mala streamlines Banhart's multifaceted muse, and the songs all fit together, if in a somewhat roundabout manner." Thomas also noted that "apart from the increased cohesion, the quality of the songwriting is far higher, reminding us of the astonishing promise and tossed-off ease of Banhart's early material, and suggesting that his detours into less exciting sounds were just part of a journey that might be much longer and more rewarding than expected." Consequence of Sound's Dan Pfleegor noted that "although softer and a touch more dour than some of his previous offerings, proves that Banhart is still a ''strange fella'' leaving his mark on the world of popular music." At ''Mojo'' David Sheppard noticed how "''Mala'' meanders liquidly between warbled, DIY electronic pop ..with diversions into hazy instrumental miniatures ..intimate, wraithlike ballads". So, '' Qs James Oldham told that "where previously it might have seemed ridiculous to talk about Banhart alongside Syd Barrett and Nick Drake, Mala finally makes those comparisons feel comfortable." But John Everhart at '' Under the Radar'' noted how it would be "a disservice to compare Banhart to anyone", and he found ''Mala'' to be "yet another stylistic curveball, favoring low-key arrangements with subtle flourishes of Tropicalia, and disco even. It's also his best album in nearly a decade." At ''The A.V. Club'', Michael Gallucci writes that "''Mala'' expands Banhart's sonic template in less organic ways, adding pinches of electronic spice here, recording on an old-school hip-hop tape machine there. It's not an uncomplicated listen (Banhart's records never are), but Mala breezes through its 14 songs with relative unfussiness." At PopMatters, Zachary Houle noted that "''Mala'' is generally a soft, meditative album full of gently strummed acoustic guitar (and the odd keyboard) that flutters as the chords and notes waft on by", and told that "''Mala'' could easily be categorized as easy listening music, the kind of inoffensive stuff you could almost play for your grandparents".

However, Andy Gill of ''The Independent'' wrote that the album is "not bad, just unnecessary", and this is because "it shifts desultorily