Natasha Khan, aka Bat For Lashes, opens up her second album Two Sons in a superbly dark and dramatic fashion. (Which is the way you should do it when said album features guest vocals from Scott Walker — he’s on the closer “The Big Sleep.”) For now, we’re looking at the opener, “Glass.” It begins with Khan’s voice naked except for some tastefully reverberant echoes and the slow clime of background strings and other voices before a patch of tribal percussion — think, maybe, of Brian Chippendale on “Dull Flame Of Desire,” but in less cannibalistic mode — and then the rest of the ensemble (organs, guitars, a nice bit of noise) create a massive, chilly swell. When Khan kicks into high gear toward the 3/4 mark (wait until the 3:30) you wouldn’t be wrong to evoke the Cranberries. (In the best way possible, of course.) She will arise now and go about the city:
UPDATE: Live version from the Radiohead tour…
Bat For Lashes – “Glass” (Live In Nimes 2008) (MP3)
Two Sons is out 4/6 via Astralwerks.
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Jesus, this is pretty great. Drums sound great.
I didn’t dislike her first album, its just never inspired more than a few listens for me. Excited for this to come out now.
agreed. that drum sounds is iLL, sorta like an empty water drum being pounded by a mallet. that ringing boom. mmm mmm good. vocals are frigid and nice too. perfect for this weather in BK.
Thank you. I was trying to better than great (twice), but its fucking cold.
[drools] thank you! cant wait for the new album.
this is great! definitely anticipating the rest of this album!
Excited for anything new here!
This is batshit crazy. Part of me thinks amazing, part of me thinks melodramatic and insane in a bad way. i’m conflicted. It’s pretty blatant in its Kate Bushisms. The end sounds a bit like alanis Morisette. Strange
Don’t say Alanis Morisette… that’s too pejorative, though I do agree with the Kate Bush-esque similarity.
Though I’d say it’s more Homogenic-era Björk mixed with Scarlet’s Walk-period Tori Amos & as brandon posted, slightly Cranberries.
No matter how ineptly I articulate it, I love this, it’s a wonderful elaboration from Fur & Gold.
Yeah, I’m hearing a lot of Kate Bush.
this song is excellent. this has me really excited for the new album.
I want to go on a journey with her
i think you mean “two suns”
I have a feeling this is going to be one of my favorite albums of the year.
Boring.
first album was great and it sounds like this one coming up will be even better, great stuff.
Yah, have to admit this is sort of boring. She has a nice voice but…I think I’d rather put on Kate Bush.
I like it. Has a touch of My Brightest Diamond.
I’m getting self-conscious about women artists seemingly almost always being compared to other female artists. Like, if Glass were a new Final Fantasy track, do you think people would be automatically saying Kate Bush/Bjork/My Brightest Diamond?
I mean, obviously, I just did it but it just seems noteworthy to me at this point.
I can see that bias, (but don’t worry about me, the other day I compared the new Sufjan Stevens to Paul Brill over Thom Yorke’s sound) though I say it’s more deficiency of terms to describe audio qualities without resorting to crude onomatopoeia.
Though McG (second post) came the closest with describing those cool drums though.
this is the sort of music that should be getting the attention around here, not Lady Sovereign mall-trackz that i’d hear in Forever 21.
the drums are FANTASTIC.
and the remark by Emanuel IV about women artists is dead-on.
i’ve been listening to this every day since it was used for dazed digital’s playlist for january. it’s extraordinarily intense,imo. and i don’t think i heard natasha’s voice come through so strongly compared with most of the songs on fur & gold. i mean in this one,the voice alone,it literally makes the hairs stand on end.
as for the comparisons,of course that’s easy to do because dynamic artists like kate bush,bjork and siouxsie sioux(whom she was equated with on the inital release as well),have been few and far between. they weren’t mere mouthpieces or image driven,generic pop tarts..they are women who knew and know how to make music. and as a matter of fact,i think compared with most artists out there now natasha really knows how to wrap herself in her influences. much like how goldfrapp and roisin murphy are able to do so well.
This reminds me a bit of Kate Bush as well. She is great.
I don’t get it “The blue dreams” was only the backing band for the radiohead tour or are they on this new album? please tell me