Bat For Lashes: A Superhero Who Haunts
Feb 1, 2008
Words by Manisha Virdi
Illustration by Jen Pagnini
Bat For Lashes comes at you like a superhero and it has more to do with the 'lashes' than the 'bat'. What she lacks in capes and one-syllable catch phrases, she makes up for with costumes and adornments, including eyeshadow masks and the occasional set of wings. Enchantingly charming and lovely at the same time that she's kicking your ass, the ability to combine two such disparate qualities is usually only held by a true wonder woman.
Real life alter ego Natasha Kahn, a British singer/songwriter/visual artist/former nursery school teacher with a degree in film and music who grew up in both England and Pakistan, leads Bat For Lashes and there are two types of songs on _Fur and Gold_, her Mercury Prize-nominated debut. There are the dark and dramatic and the airy and fragile. Both are haunting. The ethereal portions of the album are reminiscent of a more lyrical Bjork, particularly due to Kahn's eerie resonance. And no, it isn't that every female-led band supported by a piano or an orchestral arrangement sounds like Bjork, but Bat for Lashes, as a whole, is reminiscent of a large-scale production with an artistic stage presence, which fits, considering Khan's background in art.
The powerful, more dramatic tracks, such as "Horse and I" and "Trophy", highlight the delicate strength of her voice. However, that exact level of musical drama is missing from her Bruce Springsteen cover. In and of itself, the song is beautiful and emotionally well executed, but "I'm On Fire" lends itself perfectly to the very same darker and deeper tones Kahn has already proved she is very capable of pulling off.
"Bat For Lashes Official Site":http://www.batforlashes.com
"Echo Records":http://www.echo.co.uk
