Devendra Banhart - Cripple Crow

Cripple Crow is Devendra Banhart’s fifth studio album, released on September 13, 2005 via XL Recordings.

It’s a sprawling record, with around 22 tracks, and stands as one of the artist’s most ambitious works. Blending psychedelic folk, Latin influences, soft rock, and whimsical touches, the album sees Banhart exploring a rich instrumental palette — acoustic and electric guitars, flutes, violins, backing vocals, reverbed atmospheres — coupled with lyrics that shift between introspection, the surreal, and playfulness. There are also several songs in Spanish, reflecting his Venezuelan background. Tracks like “Long Haired Child”, “Lazy Butterfly”, “Luna de Margarita”, “I Feel Just Like a Child” and the title track “Cripple Crow” showcase the album’s aesthetic breadth. In 2025 a 20th‑anniversary deluxe edition was released, featuring demos, live recordings, B‑sides, extra material, as well as expanded artwork and liner notes by Banhart himself. The album is for listeners who enjoy music unbounded by fixed genres, who value creative exploration, communal production, and sonic surprises.