News / / 14.12.12

BAT FOR LASHES

THE HAUNTED MAN (Parlophone)

15/20

If you’ve always suspected that Bat For Lashes is just that bit too safe to deserve the critical acclaim and Kate Bush comparisons that are regularly wafted her way, the opening tracks of The Haunted Man, aren’t going to convince you otherwise. But by third song Horses of the Sun, Khan’s indisputably captivating delivery is set against a more layered, adventurous arrangement, and from this point onwards, the album warms. Lead single Laura is fragile, delicate and full of romance. Title track The Haunted Man has a melancholic, almost mariachi feel that’s reminiscent of Efterklang’s more recent offerings. Winter Fields is a sweeping, stylised mini-drama and Marilyn is electronic pop in the vein of previous single Daniel, with some lovely dark corners to explore. But – and there is definitely a but – there are one too many beige moments. While this isn’t challenging music, Bat For Lashes is still an engaging (and all too rare) pop proposition. Khan sounds like an artist in search of a defining identity, and until she finds one, the glimpses of brilliance she shows just won’t elevate her into the league that she hints she could be in.

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Words: Adam Corner

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