The Haunted Man

There’s a way that Natasha Khan’s records arrive—like messages from somewhere else, immaculate and strange, each sound placed with such precision you wonder what she’s building. Bat For Lashes makes these perfect electronic things where you can hear the construction beneath, and then suddenly a vocal comes in and breaks something. That’s her gift.

The Haunted Man is darker than what came before. The title suggests something she can’t quite exorcise, some ghost that all those perfect synths can’t hide. That feels right for where she is now. Less restraint, more directness. I’ve always loved her work most when it’s willing to hurt.