Yeasayer – Fragrant World(Mute)
I suppose that age brings conservatism. And that’s intentionally with a small ‘c’, I’m not bringing politics into this, don’t worry. What I mean is that Beth Orton, now a properly established female artist, has rather unsurprisingly lost some of the edge that she had in her youth. Maturity brings a neatening, a concentration of the idea of ‘you’, and so the Chemical Brothers infused ‘folktronica’ Beth used to be known for seems to have given way to a more restrained style of song-writing. Te ‘tronica’ has faded away into a simpler, darker ‘folk’, and just like the remnants of summer sun on an autumnal morning, the brightness remains, but the warmth is occasionally chillingly. Te instrumentals are acoustic, open but pensive, the melodies lyrical but secret, and her voice emotive but airy. It’s not a stark album by any means; both ‘Call Me Te Breeze’ and the short-but-sweet ‘See Trough Blue’ possess those last remaining rays of heat, but for the majority of the songs there’s a nocturnal quality that exudes quality and sincerity that is delicately charming. Tere’s a slight worry that this record might get lost, filed in with the UK’s ever growing repertoire of neo-folk, but it’s certain that Beth’s experience and execution allows her to quietly surpass the majority of her youthful peers. Alex Trossell
Bat for Lashes – Te Haunted Man
Tis, Natasha Khan’s third, is an album that many thought might not surface – maybe most of all, Natasha herself. She had crept so far back up her pre-music career life that she’d enquired about getting her old primary school teacher job back. Tank the great lord of red tape, her CRB check had expired, and so she meandered, through many a creative outlet, back to her music making form, and we should be very glad. ‘Te Haunted Man’ is her most affecting to date, and takes a hammer to the fourth wall that distanced us – not in a bad way – from the tracks of the first two releases. Tis is inviting, honest and exposing, a theme that is translated very literally in the album artwork, a stark beacon amongst the collection of her albums thus far. Tere is a statement of intent from track one, ‘Lilies’ – “Tank God I’m alive” is the exclamation and it’s sung with so much relief, you’d believe it to have been bellowed at the moment between falling from a cliff and regaining balance. It seems like it was a close run thing. Khan also adds to her collection of characters, having introduced ‘Daniel’ on ‘Two Suns’; this time we have ‘Laura’, a moving conversation with an unexplained character who’s carrying some personal tragedy, and hiding behind some dance shoes. Tis could well be Bat for Lashes’ album that earns her next year’s Mercury, but be an early adopter, and please buy now. Emma Garwood
40 /October 2012/
outlineonline.co.uk
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