Bat for Lashes

Natasha Khan, who performs under the Bat for Lashes banner, is part of a distinctive sorority — one populated by high-flown warblers with a taste for ornate lyrical fantasies. The style's tricky to master, since even minor miscalculations can turn potentially quirky and creative airs into something teeth-grindingly coy and...

By Michael Roberts

October 4, 2007

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Natasha Khan, who performs under the Bat for Lashes banner, is part of a distinctive sorority — one populated by high-flown warblers with a taste for ornate lyrical fantasies. The style's tricky to master, since even minor miscalculations can turn potentially quirky and creative airs into something teeth-grindingly coy and cutesy. Fortunately, Khan generally stays on the positive side of this equation throughout 2006's Fur and Gold, a finalist for the U.K.'s Mercury Prize; like Amy Winehouse, Bat lost out to Klaxons (see page 72). Beats contribute to Khan's success: "What's a Girl to Do?" uses a "Be My Baby" cadence to anchor its tale of a love capable of making her "bat lightning heart" take to the sky, while "Prescilla" sports an undeniably infectious clap-track. Other songs are closer calls: As many folks are likely to be annoyed as beguiled by "The Wizard," a leisurely shuffle yoked to lyrics about "trembling midnight lands" and blood-drinking. Nevertheless, Khan, joined this Friday by Chris Chavez, remains a promising new member of the chanteuse sisterhood.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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