Bat For Lashes Gives Brooklyn 'Good Love'

Lashes at Music Hall of Williamsburg, 5.2.09

I had the pleasure of catching Bat For Lashes‘ 2007 gig at Bowery Ballroom in support of her eerie debut masterpiece, Fur and Gold. That show resonates as one of my favorite experiences in serious art music, a captivating and stripped down performance that couldn’t have been more perfect — beside the incredibly out of place men who shouted absurdities to Natasha about ‘how damn good [her] ass looked.’

Last year when the news broke of the sophomore record and her supporting slot on Radiohead‘s UK Tour, I was crushed with anticipation. Last month the Two Suns was released, an album that entrancingly chronicles the internal battle between Natasha and her evil blonde bombshell alter-ego Pearl. Saturday night Miss Kahn returned to Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg to share her magic with Bat for Lashes!

The collaborative Pennsylvania-based Lewis and Clarke headed by Lou Rogai opened the show with their movie score-like melodic folk. The set ranged songs from 2007′s Blasts of Holy Birth and this year’s Light Time EP and L&C graciously bowed out before before Bat For Lashes took the stage after 10. Their transient and moody tunes are perfect for mellow Sundays and are great catalysts when I’m having a bout of writer’s block.

Bat for Lashes’ set list tackled all of my favorite tunes from Two Suns and Fur and Gold, setting the mood with the haunting opener Glass. The raw and emotional performance I’ve come to love was ever present with Natasha pouring herself out as she ran from either side of the stage switching between the harpischord, piano, tambourines, accordion, guitar, maracas, and at some points almost in tears. The absolute highest points for me were Siren Song, Horse & I, Daniel, Good Love, Two Planets and the “Big” version of Daniel which closed out the set. The crowd (including Agyness Deyn, Keith Murray, Matt and Danielle) was really cool and definitely seemed to enjoy the set. The only shouts this time around were encouraging her to “go on girl,” which induced laughter in the crowd, including Natasha. As expected, Bat For Lashes at Music Hall of Williamsburg was pretty much a religious experience for me and I hope that I don’t have to wait another two years to be saved.

MP3: Lewis and Clarke – Beofre it Breaks You or zShare
MP3: Bat For Lashes Daniel (Edwin Van Cleef Remix) or zShare
MP3: Bat For Lashes – Kangaroo (Big Star Cover) or zShare