Bat For Lashes [Live] @ The Roundhouse, London

19th July 2009

July 20, 2009, 02:39 AM

Views: 916   Comments: 10

I remember when I first started hanging around the music scene. I used to go and see unsigned bands live and buy their CD on the spot from the merchandise stall if they touched me in any way, and that is still to this day my favourite way to discover new music. Tonight, I was looking forward to finding out what all the Bats for Lashes hype was about when I made my way to the Roundhouse.

I want you to imagine for a moment that tonight's gig was a flight. Tonight I was on a first class one; we’re talking ITunes, greatly organised, big kick ass stage, sound and visual effects. No excuses for a bad performance and I have to say, Natasha Khan’s voice is impressive. This had all the premise to be an unforgettable show, and as the compère says "I’m one of the few lucky ones who made it in". The problem with flights is, some take off with a bang and some start taxiing and take off so smoothly that you hardly realize you got off the ground. In both cases, at some point you’re up there, flying high and looking at the clouds below you. Then you get the ones (unfortunately way too many nowadays) that keep taxiing, and taxiing, and taxiing, and when you think they’re finally about to take off you get a message from the captain saying that unfortunately there’s a fault. You get off and realize this plane is not going to take you anywhere and you’re so disappointed especially since you had all that extra legroom and free drinks!

I was looking at Natasha Khan, her perfect outfit, her amazing voice, the violins in the background, and kept waiting for the take off that never really happened. Bat for Lashes sounded a lot like Evanescence-meets-Enya and as if they can’t quite make up their mind whether to follow in the footsteps of Kate Bush or Bjork. Bat for Lashes tracks all lie somewhere between Bush’s ethereal pop melody and Bjork’s eccentric highs, settling for a flat, forgettable hour of mono chord vocal exercises. When one song finally catches my ears, Natasha says goodbye and leaves the stage. There is an encore which unfortunately is just as unimpressive as the rest of the set, then one song comes (I think 'Pearl’s Dream') that really stands out and demands my attention. Finally one song I would actually download and stick on my playlist! Is it taking off? No, captain Khan says goodbye and we all get off the plane as it's not going anywhere tonight.

I’m back home reading other reviews, to make sure I’m not the only one who just didn’t get it. All of the reviews I read seem to direct all their attention on Natasha’s outfit, the choreography, this white witch/fairy character and the atmosphere. They rightly praise her amazing voice. But... all of them have a “but”.

Maybe she’s still too shy (as in, she’s totally unable to interact with the audience), maybe she should have arrived on stage riding a unicorn and blowing fairy dust in the air? Everyone is trying to find an excuse to the fact that something just didn’t "click", that all this hype is hardly justified, that something is still missing. That “something” is what I came here for: the music. This is the first time I have read several lengthy reviews where not one track is mentioned.

Natasha Khan, with her shyness and most of all her ethereal, beautiful and effortless vocal virtuosities, could really go far. But, if she lets the industry push her persona rather than her music and she records albums where one song is no different from the next one, she’ll be another one hit wonder in today’s disposable music scene. Bat for Lashes’ latest album “Two Suns” is already down from 11.99 to 6.99 on HMV. In times when Paris Hilton has an opportunity to record an album and the world is hungry for talent, please Natasha, don’t waste yours. I’m dreaming to hear your voice in the next “Man with the child in his eyes”.

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