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Quite what it means for American musicians to be effectively re-imagining themselves as British hippy throwbacks remains to be seen, but it must be acknowledged that Banhart's rejection of the callow complaints and knee-jerk nihilism which now customarily dominate most American "alternative" rock makes for a welcome and refreshing change, as do the resolutely lo-fi, largely acoustic settings. "I realise it ain't wise to idealise/ Or put your life in the hands of any struggle," he reflects in the opening "Now That I Know", eschewing activism for inner development of a more mystical form. It's debatable whether Banhart's innocent utopianism is an adequate response to an increasingly complex world: whether an argument such as "It's simple - we don't want to kill" isn't in fact a touch too simple.
Musically, Banhart has broadened his approach on Cripple Crow, augmenting his guitar and piano parts with hand percussion, wisps of dobro, viola, cello and sitar, and the occasional thread of distorted electric guitar. For all that, the solo guitar instrumental "Sawkill River" is one of the highlights here, bested only by "I Feel Just like a Child", his evocation of the wonder of childhood and the miracle of growth, "from being my daddy's sperm/ to being packed in an urn".
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