CD album with original fold-out illustrated insert. Young God Records / XL Recordings, 2004. Standard jewel case with printed disc and fold-out lyric booklet.
Released in May 2004, Rejoicing in the Hands marked Devendra Banhart's breakthrough and is widely regarded as one of the defining recordings of the so-called “freak folk” movement. Produced by Banhart and Michael Gira of Swans and Young God Records, the album helped establish a loose international network of musicians including Joanna Newsom, Vetiver, Vashti Bunyan, and CocoRosie. Later included in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
What distinguishes this edition is the artwork. Banhart, who studied at the San Francisco Art Institute, treated album packaging as an extension of his drawing practice. The booklet functions somewhere between lyric sheet, artist publication, outsider drawing, illuminated manuscript, and private notebook.
The music can be streamed almost anywhere; the printed matter cannot. What survives is a portable structure carrying drawings, typography, lyrics, and traces of an artistic identity before it became fixed by history. Not merely a CD release but a retained piece of cultural infrastructure: music container, artist publication, and distribution object occupying the same space.
Condition: Good vintage condition. Light handling and storage wear consistent with age. Complete with original artwork and disc.
Shipping and handling included in the listed price.
