The Haunted Man

Scandalous as it may seem to their fans, Bat for Lashes doesn’t appeal to everyone’s tastes. Sure, it’s possible to appreciated the dark complexity of _Fur and Gold_ and understand the vindicating moments of _Two Suns_ – but both of these records always lacked that special something. The release of Natasha Khan’s third album, _The Haunted Man_ did little to grab attention at first. However, after truly listening to the album’s eleven tracks in their entirety, the talent of Bat for Lashes finally becomes clear.

Khan pushes her creative boundaries throughout the record, adopting the mantra of “less is more” from the very offset in the track ‘Lilies’ where all that is heard is Bjork-esque vocals combined with a regular strum of a guitar, before the addition of a drum machine successfully brings the song together. The remainder of the album follows a similar suit, stripping all the songs to their bare bones until they are rebuilt to a satisfying conclusion. The one exception to this rule is ‘Laura’. This track is a complete change in direction from the remainder of the album, seen in the simplistic, traditional use of a piano which provides the perfect backdrop to the haunting, raw lyrics which remain in the air long after the song has finished. It is, to put it simply, beautiful.

Altogether the album often exudes the misleading impression that it’s just trundling along on a meaningless joyride, with meandering melodies, random rhythmic patterns and sudden stops in songs. However, every time it feels as if the direction of the album is slipping away, the songs each come together with a satisfying blend of futuristic minimalism and traditional, tribal harmonies and instrumentation resulting in an album that is genuinely touching, inviting and powerful. In the words of the woman herself, “Get your head down, it’s time to get enchanted”.