Album Review: Bat For Lashes - The Haunted Man

Announcing her entrance with a look that suggested something more like short and sharp electro-pop, UK chanteuse Natasha Khan's honest, breathy wail has always marked itself as a richly unusual anchoring point for Bat For Lashes' distinctly earthy take on the genre, delivering her haunting but danceable 2006 debut Fur And Gold to an eager, swiftly established fanbase. Two Suns followed in 2009 in the form of an alter-ego concept album and now The Haunted Man arrives, offering textual, lyrical diversity and insight into Khan's feminine crusade for this mysterious gent.

Firstly, it must be said that massive single Laura is truly a beautiful song. Even without having it touted a multitude of times across the airwaves to etch into one's brain, there's no denying the way it creeps under the skin and through the insides with that oh-so-sombre drooping piano line and Khan's lamenting cry “You're more than a superstar”. It's the most organic and acoustic song on the album, but that warble, sometimes crossing paths with Kate Bush, Tori Amos and Annie Lennox, continues to haunt on the electro numbers like the sparse Lilies, the crisp beats a stark contrast to All Your Gold with its more concise rhythm and urgent delivery. The more ambient and atmospheric tracks sit well in between the upbeat moments, notably Horses Of The Sun. There's a brooding intensity courtesy of some crystalline synths that bounce around Khan's unnerving delivery tinged with otherworldly effects. The title track probably isn't as strong as its tension-filled lyrics suggest, but Rest Your Head is where she's vocally formidable; a full chorus of jarring synths, horns and crisp beats let Khan run wild.