The cover art for Bat For Lashes third album The Haunted Man is sure to grab anyone’s
attention. It would be tough to talk
about the record without mentioning the photograph, a stark black and white
which features Natasha Khan in the nude with a man, also nude, wrapped around
her shoulders. The photo represents the
general vibe on Bat For Lashes' third album, as Khan strips back much of the
grandeur that adorned her previous work, and instead focuses on making stripped
down pop music with a raw emotional punch.
While she may have gone for a more minimal approach on The Haunted Man, Khan has not lost her
flair for the dramatic. Often she is
able to convey an incredible amount of feeling with little more than a piano
and maybe some strings or electronics.
‘Laura’ personifies this quality the best, it seems very simple, just a
piano and vocals, but becomes so much more with Khan at the helm,
For much of the album Khan channels Kate Bush and PJ Harvey,
and songs like ‘Lilies’, ‘Winter Fields’ and the title track warrant this
comparison. The most successful moments
of The Haunted Man come when there is
a bit of the dance floor in the mix, especially the Beck featuring ‘Marilyn’,
and ‘Oh Yeah.’ The best moment on the
record though comes via the plunky R&B swagger of ‘All Your Gold’, a tune
that deserves mention alongside other Bat For Lashes hits like ‘Daniel’ and
‘What’s a Girl to Do?’.
The Haunted Man is
easily the most transparent album Natasha Khan has made so far. The raw reality of it will lure you in, but
it’s the glut of songwriting skills on display that is going to keep you
around.
Grade: B
