Bat for Lashes - The Haunted Man


Some things are really worth the wait. The noise around the Bat for Lashes camp kind of died down after the release of 2009's Two Suns, a faultlessly beautiful album from one of the UK's most wonderfully gifted women. Probably because where most attention has diverted to the unusual, the quirky and the relevant, Bat for Lashes' only ever real selling point to the masses was her knack for classic songwriting, and without any overwhelming desire to slag off her contemporaries or wear controversial costumes, Natasha Khan doesn't quite command the attention she so deserves.

Sure, the UK music scene is pretty saturated with talented female artists at the moment. We've got M.I.A., Paloma Faith, Florence + the Machine, Ellie Goulding, Jessie Ware, PJ Harvey, Kate Bush, Laura Marling, Kate Nash, Lily Allen and then a bunch of popstars thrown in all fighting for survival, but for me, at the right time, Bat for Lashes trumps all. Sure, PJ and Kate own the weird and the powerful titles, and M.I.A. is the go-to-girl for a noisy thrashing moment, but if you want to feel something, look no further.


It's fitting then that all this prettiness opens with a track called 'Lilies': a shadowy, ethereal ball of instrumental punctuated by a serene, yet not quite gripping vocal performance. Singing of finding inspiration in the little things, it's still quite charming. There's then a touch of that Gotye song about 'All Your Gold' and its jittery, tiptoeing guitars, but it's all of its attentions to detail that make it so rewarding: the chinks of glass in the background, the extraterrestrial synth effects, the sky-leaning violin sections. The recurring lyrics of "I was saved" and "I was alive" (seen in Lilies) make their way into 'Horses of the Sun', as does a thudding, almost primal rhythm, giving the album already a strong hint of natural spiritualism. In 'Oh Yeah' we're introduced with harmonic chanting and drum effects, only lending weight to that impression, but it eventually subsides in favour of a jazzy, fascinating world of creeping bugs, tall grass and dripping perfume that she calls home.

But once you strip away all of the weird earth-worship qualities about her, there's a song so poignantly striking and time-stopping as 'Laura'. "Drape your arms around me and softly say/ Can we dance upon the tables again?" she sings over a gentle piano arrangement from Video Games co-writer Justin Parker, and it's a little similar to that fame/fleeting romance aesthetic of Lana del Rey, but one thing puts Lashes above that and it's her croaking, calling vocals. Equally striking is the rural and orchestral arrangement of 'Winter Fields', one of this year's most immediate adorations for me. "Couldn't sleep last night 'cause I tried to forget you" confesses the timid, angst-ridden title track, before a marching band intrudes and asks "I wish she touched my skin". Khan responds with "still I'm holding out my hand" and it's an engaging yearn for connection, and one far more enchanting than some silly bloody John Lewis advert could offer.

The whole use of female characters and Americana iconoclasm side of things returns on the twinkling, gorgeous 'Marilyn', before we return to the romance/opportunity themes on 'A Wall': "Where you see a wall, I see a door" is the recurring lyric, indicative of optimistic outlooks on love. There are occasional moments on the album where much is left to be desired: the rather simple 'Rest Your Head' and its protective lyrical element is undersold, and given a jarringly busy instrumental, but we instead bow out with one of the album's most beautiful moments. 'Deep Sea Diver' is all drawn-out synths and high-pitched vocals, imploring "let your hair down" before an achingly sweet howl.


It's not quite perfect: it takes a while for The Haunted Man to really unleash all of its spellbinding potential, but once those first three tracks shake off their cobwebs and the climax of the album occurs, it's as close to musical and feminine perfection as is possibly attainable.

Rating: 9/10
Highlights: Laura, Deep Sea Diver, Winter Fields, The Haunted Man, Marilyn, Oh Yeah
Avoid: n/a

Artwork Watch: Not the most practical scarf I've ever seen.
Up next: Jake Bugg  

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