Album Review: Bat For Lashes - The Haunted Man

Bat For Lashes
The Haunted Man
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

British singer/songwriter Natasha Khan, who goes by the name Bat For Lashes, staked out her niche in the pop world with her first two albums of quirky folk-electronica, 2006's Fur and Gold, and the amazing step forward with 2009's Two Suns, which was the perfect summation of her talents as a songwriter. With her latest album The Haunted Man, Khan finds herself at the crossroads of her career. She could continue to mine her anti-pop star status or could streamline her sound to be a little more mainstream, or choose to straddle the line between the two. In listening to the album, it appears she choose to try and blend those competing avenues to a curious effect. Her previous albums had such a bold oddness to them, they were carried along by sheer will and force of talent that made you either love them or hate them. With The Haunted Man, all the edges and overt quirkiness that charmed me over the course of the years has sadly been jettisoned for more traditional structures. The Haunted Man is still a wonderful record and immaculately written and produced, but for me, it is a record I like more than I love.

There just seems to be a lack of a pulse in these tracks that keeps me at arms' length. I enjoy the tracks while I am hearing them, but mostly they fade from memory. When Khan is on her game, however, she is electrifying. First single "Laura" is a stunningly realized ballad, showcasing Khan's emotive voice and placing it front and center of a minimalist backing.



"Oh Yeah" recalls past efforts with an interesting clash between sampled chorus vocals, muted drum programming, and aggressive synth patterns. Her breathless coo dancing atop the chugging rhythm as delicate washes of treated guitar punctuate the track.



"Rest Your Head" shuffles over a trip-hop beat while combining throbs of synths and vibes throughout the mix.



But for the most part, there is a mysterious lack of forward momentum on The Haunted Man, with most of the tracks feeling sluggishly paced, with not enough aural diversions to keep one's interest for long. Lead track "Lilies" features one of Khan's most emotionally fragile and open vocals, but mires it with a plodding drum track and superfluous strings.



And the remaining tracks just seem to float by with little purpose or sense of drama. The orchestral ballad "Winter Field" is moored by its pastoral fussiness, while title track "The Haunted Man" initially holds some interest with interesting electronic undercurrents but stumbles into an odd mid-section that seems to kidnap a track from a Broadway musical, and final track "Deep Sea Diver" meanders through ethereal synth washes to take the album out on a curiously wan note.



The album is redeemed somewhat by tracks like "A Wall" and "Horses of the Sun" that subtly build in tone and texture.



I suppose I was just expecting so much more from The Haunted Man than I am giving it credit. Taken out of context of her other work, it is a very solid album and works on a lot of levels. But when examined against those earlier, more daring explorations, The Haunted Man comes up too short, being merely good aside something phenomenally great.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.