Every so often an artist comes along that is thunderously original and Natasha Khan seems to fit that bill like fingerless gloves. As Bat For Lashes releases her second album and Khan engages in a large scale media assault where she’ll be likened to Kate Bush or Tori Amos at every turn, I thought I would offer a different viewpoint into the wonders of her rich artistry.
To me there is little comparison between Natasha and either of these artists but for the fact that they are all multi-instrumentalist prodigal women. Their output is profoundly different in themes and texture and although I’m a huge fan of Bush and Amos in particular, I remain more excited about the work of Brighton’s recent arrival.
The key thing about both Bat For Lashes albums is that the songs are not so much about melody as about atmosphere. They are feelings that starts slowly, that you struggle to understand initially and then, as you listen to it more and more, begin to make sense.
To me there is little comparison between Natasha and either of these artists but for the fact that they are all multi-instrumentalist prodigal women. Their output is profoundly different in themes and texture and although I’m a huge fan of Bush and Amos in particular, I remain more excited about the work of Brighton’s recent arrival.
The key thing about both Bat For Lashes albums is that the songs are not so much about melody as about atmosphere. They are feelings that starts slowly, that you struggle to understand initially and then, as you listen to it more and more, begin to make sense.
The moment when the first album really hit me was not for about a year after I bought it. I was away from home with work, sat in a hotel room in the dark indulging my passion for David Lynch movies with the final episode of the final series of Twin Peaks.
That episode takes levels of weirdness to altogether new heights, as Agent Cooper enters the subconscious realms of the Black Lodge. I can’t explain quite what that means as the whole concept is difficult to whittle down into sentences but there is a great scene where he is in the woods, in the dark, as the light of the mystical other world opens itself up.
It was at this moment that I got a slow piano line in my head and the words “I saw a light / coming through the trees” suddenly made some sort of sense. The final song on the Mercury nominated Fur and Gold record, I Saw A Light is not so much a piece of music as a piece of dark atmospheric abstraction.
Once I finished watching the episode, I reached for my iPod and listened to the song over and over again. Although Natasha has been quoted in interviews as being a Lynch fan, it seems somewhat of a long shot to suggest that the two pieces of art are interlinked. In any case, it doesn’t really matter – the two combined for me and I remember them as such. It is such a brilliant finale to both TV show and album that the two remain inseparable in my mind.
This is the key thing with all kinds of art – the intention of the artist is always secondary to the intention of the person absorbing the art. Whatever meaning I can take away from it is more important than the artist describing how each individual component fulfilled her overall message. My message wins the battle, or at least it does for me.
As previously mentioned, the new Bat For Lashes album came out on Monday of this week and she began her tour in Manchester the following day, which I was lucky enough to attend. Both performance and recording excels and she was as engaging a performer as she has been previously. The beauty of the record is that as much as I like it now, it seems to be designed in such a way that it will take months to fully bring it into your consciousness.
That episode takes levels of weirdness to altogether new heights, as Agent Cooper enters the subconscious realms of the Black Lodge. I can’t explain quite what that means as the whole concept is difficult to whittle down into sentences but there is a great scene where he is in the woods, in the dark, as the light of the mystical other world opens itself up.
It was at this moment that I got a slow piano line in my head and the words “I saw a light / coming through the trees” suddenly made some sort of sense. The final song on the Mercury nominated Fur and Gold record, I Saw A Light is not so much a piece of music as a piece of dark atmospheric abstraction.
Once I finished watching the episode, I reached for my iPod and listened to the song over and over again. Although Natasha has been quoted in interviews as being a Lynch fan, it seems somewhat of a long shot to suggest that the two pieces of art are interlinked. In any case, it doesn’t really matter – the two combined for me and I remember them as such. It is such a brilliant finale to both TV show and album that the two remain inseparable in my mind.
This is the key thing with all kinds of art – the intention of the artist is always secondary to the intention of the person absorbing the art. Whatever meaning I can take away from it is more important than the artist describing how each individual component fulfilled her overall message. My message wins the battle, or at least it does for me.
As previously mentioned, the new Bat For Lashes album came out on Monday of this week and she began her tour in Manchester the following day, which I was lucky enough to attend. Both performance and recording excels and she was as engaging a performer as she has been previously. The beauty of the record is that as much as I like it now, it seems to be designed in such a way that it will take months to fully bring it into your consciousness.
It is one of those albums quite unique in the modern environment that is a "grower" and I can’t help but think that in a years time, I’m going to have some kind of Lynch-like moment where suddenly it makes sense. Who knows what I’ll be doing when it happens; I could be watching Neighbours, talking to a colleague at work or out at the pub. The moment of realisation – and consequently the power of her art – is something to look forward to and cherish.
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