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8.0
51932
8.0 |
Q
A beautiful album that counterpoints Banhart's boundless and surreal imagination against a newly-discovered depth and sincerity. Print edition only
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8.0
51933
8.0 |
Uncut
A thrillingly inventive blend of alt.rock, fingerpicking folk, Latin flavours and electronic pop. Print edition only
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8.0
51934
8.0 |
Mojo
14 pocket-battleship songs which, fidelity notwithstanding, are among the most immediate he's recorded. Print edition only
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8.0
52031
8.0 |
Independent on Sunday
Evokes non-specific nostalgia, alternating between breezy, sun-dappled 1960s folk-pop and chugging 1970s glam
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8.0
52145
8.0 |
Under The Radar
It's a disservice to compare Banhart to anyone. He's a singularly idiosyncratic and brilliant songwriter, one hitting an arresting stride on this uniformly superb album
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8.0
52206
8.0 |
Consequence Of Sound
Mala may not stand as the zenith of the man’s catalogue, but it’s a highlight worth exploring and a dreamy journey for the taking
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8.0
52242
8.0 |
The Guardian
His taste for bathos and anachronism ensures that even the tiniest songs have their character
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8.0
52375
8.0 |
State
This is definitely his best work since 2005’s Cripple Crow
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7.6
52092
7.6 |
Pitchfork
It's best to think of Mala as a new beginning for Banhart than a triumphant return to form
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7.5
52102
7.5 |
A.V. Club
Like Banhart’s other albums, Mala loses focus
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7.3
52379
7.3 |
Beats Per Minute
Mala might then be best described with a lyric of Banhart’s own writing: “It’s not the end of the world/ But it’s not the start of a new one.”
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7.2
52200
7.2 |
Paste Magazine
For all its occasional backward glancing, Mala still feels beautifully in-the-moment
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7.0
53198
7.0 |
No Ripcord
Much more easily accessible than some of his previous efforts whilst still keeping its charm
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7.0
52121
7.0 |
BBC
Overall it’s the album’s sense of love and lightness that lingers: its buoyancy and sense of discovery
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7.0
52199
7.0 |
Spin
A more gratifying listen than the oft-grating Banhart had any right to deliver to non-believers in 2013
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7.0
52035
7.0 |
musicOMH
A satisfying, mystifying, well-imagined album that bears repeated listens in the grass under slowly passing clouds
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7.0
52045
7.0 |
Slant Magazine
Mala attests to a discipline that was absent in Banhart's recent, loopier ventures, proving that his eccentric songwriting works best when harnessed in service of good storytelling
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7.0
52058
7.0 |
The 405
Devendra Banhart's eighth effort finds himself tapping into a particular sound particularly well, and coming out smelling of roses for it
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7.0
52060
7.0 |
All Music
Instead of the overreaching, overly long confusion of previous efforts, Mala streamlines Banhart's multifaceted muse, and the songs all fit together
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7.0
52078
7.0 |
Rolling Stone
Banhart's first album since 2009 and his strongest set of songs since the earlier, freakier material
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6.0
51935
6.0 |
NME
A nightmarish listen, but in a good way
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6.0
51929
6.0 |
The Line Of Best Fit
There are moments to savour, but for each of these there’s at least one frustrating or disappointing moment to counteract it
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6.0
51930
6.0 |
The Arts Desk
Sometimes tries so hard to tell clever, surreal stories that it forgets to be fun
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6.0
51931
6.0 |
Drowned In Sound
Almost everything here is pretty good when you sit down and concentrate on it, but there's little that jumps up and demands your attention
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6.0
52013
6.0 |
Evening Standard
Finds him in reflective and playful mood, although any golden rays come tinged with darkness
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5.0
52100
5.0 |
PopMatters
A spectacularly mediocre record, one that takes a few risks, but risks without a sense of adventure or destination
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4.0
51990
4.0 |
The Independent
It's not bad, just unnecessary
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