A string of songs with names of people as titles: Fur and Gold has “Prescilla” and “Sarah,” Two Suns‘ “Daniel” and two songs about her alter-ego Pearl (“Pearl’s Dream” and “Siren”) and now “Laura” for the upcoming The Hunted Man. Natasha Khan has skillfully and sometimes peaks into laudability in projecting different versions of “herself” in her songs, herself as a representation of the way she sees herself, she is seen, hopes to be seen and even as the contrast of all these . It could be taken that the characters made up for a “concept” is one imbibed out of frustration, desires or foretelling fate. In any occasion, it is the practice of this that makes a musician’s work a lot less boring and self-centered, than, let’s say referencing “I” and “me” all throughout the record. This, however, does not mean that the characteristics taken into life by these projections reflect the reality of its maker, like say how Two Suns ventures into cosmic-astro consciousness.
Except for “Daniel,” listeners are given a glimpse of that thinking, especially through Pearl where she is portrayed as a threatening yet loving persona— an inclination for affection but a powerlessness to her uncontrollable nature. “Till the siren come calling, calling/ It’s driving me evil, evil/ I was a heart breaker, I loved you/ The same way I do/ But I’ve got so much wickedness and sin/ My name is Pearl/And I’ll love you the best way I know how/My blonde curls slice through your heart,” Kahn confesses in “Siren.”
I got into this thing again when I heard Khan’s latest “Laura.” The name title did not come as a surprise but the words and the sparse piano reminiscent of a delicate Antony and the Johnson’s song moved me.
As her most dedicated work to date, the track sets itself apart from former Bat For Lashes songs, devoid of towering percussions and mounting build-ups. “Laura” slowly forms a fragile center which the befallen star stands still, ageing, lost of crown and ”stuck in a pale blue dream.” The former diva, alluded in its storytelling, has gone past the glitter of fame. Like someone very dear to her, Khan charms her about the days of her reign (“can we dance upon the tables again?”) and memories remain like a burning euphemism, she declares “You’ll be famous for longer than then/ You’re name is tattooed on every boy’s skin/ Oh, Laura, you’re more than a superstar!”
The music video for “Laura” is directed by Noel Paul of That Go collective that visually explores the story within the song. A perfect companion, Paul’s work elaborates more with dramatic shots of Laura with whom Khan slow-dance for a while. Like a meeting of the present and the future, the dance works like a mirror which assumes that Khan could be singing a song to herself, a possible track to listen to when she herself has aged. Really powerful stuff to ponder about.
DOWNLOAD “Laura” by Bat For Lashes. (Updated external link)
Filed under: Not Your MTV, Song/MP3 Parade, Bat For Lashes Laura Download MP3, Bat For Lashes Laura Meaning of the Song, Bat For Lashes Laura The Hunted Man, Download Bat For Lashes Laura MP3, Meaning of Laura Bat For Lashes
Things just got a bit crazier that I had to break my blogging hiatus (ha!) for this new Crystal Castles track. Yesterday was a surprise SBTRKT track 
July 25, 2012 • 11:21 pm 0
THEIR LIST: Best of 2012, So Far
Based on experience, it is quite a task catching up with all the records coming out. It is a hit-or-miss as we scour through these releases and find the gems of which blogs adorn with high-praises as Best New Music or Best New Album, whatever they call it. Thinking of great amount of time listening to each hottest record of the moment, the potentiality of -not-my-things always prevails when it comes to really getting the music we like.
Last year I came up with this idea of making an aggregated list of all the lists published by numerous blogs all over the Internet with some of my favorite reads added in. Out of intention of creating a one paged-entry that sums up their choices, I hope a reader can make out the standouts by “leafing” through this list. Few weeks late but still a one-year old tradition is up!
RCRD LBL: 2012 Halftime by Carter Maness
Beach House – Bloom
Lee Hazlewood – LIH Years (Reissue)
The Walkmen – Heaven
Mount Eerie – Clear Moon
Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do
THE LINE OF BEST FIT: Favorite Albums of 2012 So Far (This particular list is really messy and random. It was hard choosing the best five out of it. So I opted to get the first five out the two part entries LOBF has published.)
First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar
Errors – Have Some Faith In Magic
Kathleen Edwards – Voyageur
Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory
Sharon van Etten – Tramp
MUSIC FOR KIDS WHO CAN’T READ: Best Album of 2012 So Far (First five, too.)
First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar
Hospitality – Hospitality
Shearwater – Animal Joy
Grimes – Visions
Andrew Bird – Break It Yourself
MIND EQUALS BLOWN: Top Albums of 2012 (So Far)
John Mayer – Born And Raised
Gojira – L’enfant Sauvage
Cherri Bomb – This Is The End Of Control
No Trigger – Tycoon
Schoolboy Q – Habits & Contradictions
STEREOGUM: from Top 25 Albums of the Year
1. Cloud Nothings- Attack on Memory
2. The Walkmen- Heaven
3. Chairlift- Something
4. Japandroids- Celebration
5. Beach House- Bloom
BANDCAMP HUNTER: Other Bandcamp favourites from the first half of 2012
Secret Mountains- Winter Sessions
New Myths- New Myths EP
Gunn-Truscinski Duo- Ocean Parkway
eyes, wings and many other things- Napalm Beach
Lower Plenty- Hard Rubbish
Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Album Commentaries, 2012 Best Albums So Far, Best Albums of 2012, Best Albums of 2012 So Far, Best Records of 2012