The Haunted Man

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All Music Guide
Natasha Khan's two previous Bat for Lashes albums -- 2006's Fur and Gold and 2009's Two Suns -- were lavish affairs from their cover images to their intricate songs. The Haunted Man, however, is simpler, more assertive, and even aggressive; the picture of Khan, naked except for the also nude man slung over her shoulders, on the album's front is no mistake. Born from a nearly paralyzing case of writer's block, these songs, such as the singles "Laura" and "All Your Gold," are more direct than anything Khan has done before, while retaining the air of mystique that has made her one to watch and listen to since the beginning.
All Music Guide - Heather Phares ...
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Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide
Natasha Khan's two previous Bat for Lashes albums -- 2006's Fur and Gold and 2009's Two Suns -- were lavish affairs from their cover images to their intricate songs. The Haunted Man, however, is simpler, more assertive, and even aggressive; the picture of Khan, naked except for the also nude man slung over her shoulders, on the album's front is no mistake. Born from a nearly paralyzing case of writer's block, these songs, such as the singles "Laura" and "All Your Gold," are more direct than anything Khan has done before, while retaining the air of mystique that has made her one to watch and listen to since the beginning.
All Music Guide - Heather Phares
Natasha Khan's two previous Bat for Lashes albums -- 2006's Fur and Gold and 2009's Two Suns -- were lavish affairs from their cover images to their intricate songs. However, The Haunted Man's album artwork, which depicts Khan as naked except for the also nude man slung over her shoulders, was one of the first hints that she was taking a slightly different tack with this set of songs. More proof came with "Laura," the soft, spare ballad she picked to be the album's lead single. While Khan explored her flair with character studies on Two Suns, this song's intimacy and the keenly observed details in lyrics like "your tears feel hot on my bedsheets" felt more like a natural progression from songs like "Sad Eyes," off of Fur and Gold. As that album (and Two Suns' more restrained moments) showed, Khan's singing and writing are more than strong enough to be more or less naked, and she finds freedom in this throughout most of The Haunted Man. Feeling alive is a refrain on many of these songs, most vividly on the proudly sexual "Oh Yeah," where Khan is "waiting like a flower to open wide" and the unearthliness of her upper register adds a fairytale sparkle to her desire. This mix of rawness and delicacy makes her among the best of all the Kate Bush disciples dotting the early 21st century pop landscape at emulating the will-o-the-wisp willfulness of La Bush's work, particularly on the silvery, shivery opening track "Lilies" and "Winter Fields," which soars above the English countryside with just a little bit of fear shading its wonder. When The Haunted Man strays from these sparer sounds, the results are mixed: the tribal/primal rhythms and vocals on "Horses of the Sun" add to its rough-hewn beauty, but the electronic squiggles and processed vocals on "Marilyn" are distracting and indulgent. Still, much of The Haunted Man caters to Khan's strengths, and songs such as "All Your Gold," "A Wall," and "Rest Your Head" are among the catchiest she's written in some time. Focus and restraint might not sound exciting in and of themselves, but The Haunted Man is more direct than any of Bat for Lashes' previous work, and manages to keep the air of mystique around Khan that has made her one to watch and listen to since her early days.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 10/22/2012
  • Label: Capitol
  • EAN: 5099932704921
  • Catalog Number: 27049
  • Sales rank: 2,404

Tracks

Disc 1
  1. 1 Lilies (4:47)
  2. 2 All Your Gold (4:32)
  3. 3 Horses of the Sun (4:59)
  4. 4 Oh Yeah (4:56)
  5. 5 Laura (4:26)
  6. 6 Winter Fields (3:42)
  7. 7 The Haunted Man (5:15)
  8. 8 Marilyn (4:35)
  9. 9 A Wall (4:01)
  10. 10 Rest Your Head (4:04)
  11. 11 Deep Sea Diver (6:21)
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Album Credits

Performance Credits
Bat for Lashes Primary Artist
Tim Pigott-Smith Violin
Sally Herbert Conductor
John Metcalfe Conductor, Sampling
Steve Russell Double Bass
Adrian Utley Synthesizer, Guitar
Michael Kearsey Trombone
Jeff Moore Violin
Bruce White Viola
Ian Humphries Violin
Richard Watkins French Horn
Everton Nelson Violin, Leader
Rob Ellis Drums, Marimbas, Choir, Chorus
Ian Burdge Cello
Sophie Harris Cello
Nick Barr Viola
Dan Carey Synthesizer, Bass, Guitar, Percussion, Piano
Ben Christophers Choir, Chorus
Chris Worsey Cello
Sarah Jones Background Vocals
Natalia Bonner Violin
Richard Pryce Double Bass
Sam O'Kell Horn Engineer
Vicci Wardman Viola
David Kosten Synthesizer, Keyboards, Vocoder
Chris Vatalaro Timpani
T.J. Allen Synthesizer
James Ford Synthesizer
Kate Robinson Violin
Natasha Khan Synthesizer, Bass, Percussion, Piano, Autoharp, Celeste, Cymbals, Drums, Harmonium, Harp, Vocals, Thumb Piano, Bells, Sampling, Mellotron, Shaker, Omnichord
Tariq Khan Synthesizer
Rick Koster Violin
Dan Newell Trumpet
Louisa Fuller Violin
Finn Vine Guitar
Eliza Marshall Flute, Bass Flute
Beck Hansen Synthesizer, Guitar
Leo Taylor Drums
Oli Langford Violin
Lucy Railton Cello
Jeremy Pritchard Bass
Michael Spearman Drums
Maximillian Bailey Viola
Dave Sitek Synthesizer
Brendan Ashe Piano, Choir, Chorus
Ali Doda Violin
Technical Credits
Sally Herbert Arranger
John Metcalfe Arranger, Programming, Orchestral Arrangements
John Davis Mastering
Alexis Smith Engineer
Rob Ellis Additional Production
Dan Carey Programming, Producer, Engineer, drum programming, Atmosphere, Beat Programming
Charlotte Hatherley Arranger
Justin Parker Composer
Dean Nelson Engineer
Sam O'Kell Engineer
David Kosten Programming, Producer, Engineer, beats, Beat Programming, Additional Production
Kato Ådland Engineer
James Ford Programming
Natasha Khan Composer, Programming, Producer, String Arrangements, Concept, Woodwind Arrangement, Beat Programming
Cassidy Turbin Engineer
Mo Hausler Engineer
Beck Hansen drum machine, Beat Programming
Tom Loffman Engineer
Oli Langford Arranger, String Arrangements
Drew Smith Engineer
Cole Marsden Engineer
Brendan Ashe Choir Arrangement
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