Bat For Lashes - The Haunted Man

Bat For Lashes - Brit electro/art/pop princess Natasha Khan returns with her third album and the follow up to the critically-praised 2009 project Two Suns...Both her 2006 debut album Fur and Gold and Two Suns were nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize in the U.K. and she also picked up two Brit Award nominations for Female Solo Artist // Release: The Haunted Man (October 22, Capitol) // Sounds like: the theatrical ingénue image and plugged-in Kate Bush-styled sound Khan has created for herself -- edgy but not too -- gets little in the way of a make over for The Haunted Man's eleven tracks but the almost giddy sparkle of Suns has been displaced for a more overtly dramatic tone, thoughtful to the point of gloomy lamentation..perhaps a more fitting title would be The Haunting Man as she suffered severe writer's block after the emotionally devastating crash and burn of a relationship...

Quote: "The idea of this man felt a lot like a metaphor for relationships. The women are trying to say, 'I'm still here for you,' but he's unable to communicate. That endlessly nurturing woman is not having her needs met." What we like: despite some rhythmic grooves that sound more ponderously plodding than uplifting, The Haunted Man's dour outlook doesn't obscure the smarts and grandly inventive approaches that Khan always brings to the table...Opener "Lilies" soars with an oversized melody and impassioned singing ("Thank God I'm Alive!" she wails)...While "Laura" doesn't have the contagious vibes of Two Suns' hit "Daniel", Khan's ode to a fading film actress still packs a powerful punch...

Bat For Lashes - "Lilies" (from The Haunted Man)

Bat For Lashes - "The Haunted Man" (from The Haunted Man)

Photo Credit: Shawn Brackbill