The Haunted Man (album)

The Haunted Man
Studio album by Bat for Lashes
Released 12 October 2012 (2012-10-12)
Recorded 2010–12
Studio Abbey Road Studios, London
Genre
Length 51:28
Label Parlophone
Producer
Bat for Lashes chronology
Two Suns
(2009)
The Haunted Man
(2012)
The Bride
(2016)
Singles from The Haunted Man
  1. "Laura"
    Released: 24 July 2012
  2. "All Your Gold"
    Released: 19 September 2012
  3. "A Wall"
    Released: 18 February 2013

The Haunted Man is the third studio album by English singer and songwriter Natasha Khan, professionally known as Bat for Lashes. It was released on 12 October 2012 by Parlophone. The album was preceded by the lead single "Laura", which was released on 24 July 2012.

Background

Khan stated in July 2012 that, after she returned home in March 2010 from touring in support of Two Suns (2009), she tried to rehabilitate herself to rebuild a sense of who she was without the music.[4] In May 2010, Khan stated that although she had enough songs to put out as an album, she wanted to take more time working on new material, as she had been on tour for a long time, and found it boring to write songs about being on tour.[5] She experienced a "profound writer's block", which led her to call Thom Yorke, lead singer of Radiohead, to ask, "What do you do when you feel like you're going to die because you can't write anything?"[4] He advised her to draw, and subsequently Khan took life-drawing classes and a children's illustration course. Combined with intensive dance classes to boost her confidence, Khan began to feel inspiration enough to begin writing again, penning the album's opening song, "Lilies", which she said was inspired by a scene in the 1970 film Ryan's Daughter.[4]

The album's artwork was photographed by American photographer Ryan McGinley,[6] and features a nude Khan carrying an also naked man on her back.[7] Khan told the NME: "I really wanted to strip things back in honour of women like Patti Smith; just these raw, honest women. I had no make-up on, it's just me and my haunted man!"[6]

Singles

"Laura" was released as the album's lead single on 24 July 2012.[8] The song reached number 144 on the UK Singles Chart.[9] "All Your Gold" was released as the second single from the album on 19 September 2012,[10] and was sent to US triple-A radio stations on 22 October.[11] "A Wall" was released as the album's third and final single on 18 February 2013.[12]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic78/100[13]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[14]
The A.V. ClubB−[15]
The Daily Telegraph[16]
The Guardian[17]
The Independent[18]
NME8/10[19]
Pitchfork Media8.4/10[20]
Q[21]
Rolling Stone[22]
Spin8/10[23]

The Haunted Man received generally positive reviews from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 78, based on 35 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[13] Pitchfork Media's Marc Hogan named The Haunted Man "one of the year's most beguiling albums", writing that it "sounds like effort magnificently realized. The rawness of feeling is achieved through equally raw ambition."[20] Ben Hewitt of the NME commented that "while The Haunted Man deals in less trinkets than its predecessor, it's not scant in splendour. Instead, for large swathes, it's like being plunged into a fairytale soundtracked by skin-prickling electro and populated by downtrodden sods hunting for breadcrumbs of comfort."[19] Rolling Stone's Will Hermes praised the album as Khan's "sexiest, spookiest LP", stating that "the visions here seem all her own. And they're pretty awesome."[22] Spin's Julianne Escobedo Shepherd felt that it was "strongest in its simplest moments".[23] The Guardian critic Alexis Petridis wrote that The Haunted Man "sounds like a bold, confident album that strips away a lot of the sonic embellishments from Khan's sound", adding that "[p]erhaps it's the sound of someone who's worked out that less can sometimes be more, that not trying too hard isn't the same as not trying."[17] Q noted a sense of clarity on the album "that comes from the sense of physical boundaries being pushed, of personal space being tested to its limits".[21]

Heather Phares of AllMusic opined, "Focus and restraint might not sound exciting in and of themselves, but The Haunted Man is more direct than any of Bat for Lashes' previous work, and manages to keep the air of mystique around Khan that has made her one to watch and listen to since her early days."[14] Slant Magazine's Kevin Liedel viewed that "while the album's comparatively restrained arrangements occasionally wilt in the face of Khan's fierce melodrama, The Haunted Man is still a worthy, often gorgeous entry in the Bat for Lashes canon."[24] In a mixed review, Annie Zaleski of The A.V. Club critiqued that Khan's "moody charisma and piercing vocals ensure the album is still an enjoyable listen. All the same, it's disappointing that The Haunted Man's beauty is too often only skin deep."[15] Despite citing the album as Khan's "strongest yet", The Observer's Kitty Empire felt that it "does not [...] deal the killer blow of originality that by now Khan should have in her power", concluding that "The Haunted Man is an assured and sonically seductive record—if only it didn't echo a little too often the sound of other women's work."[25] Andy Gill of The Independent argued that "[t]here are moments on The Haunted Man when Natasha Khan's carefully-marshalled musical forces evoke exactly the right ambience for songs pivoting on the notion of renewal. But sometimes the recurrent mood of ecstatic affirmation of life that's evident in her singing can be short-changed by arrangements that fuss to no great purpose, dissipating their impact in brittle beats and pointless detail."[18] Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph expressed that although the album "occasionally draw[s] blood", it "doesn't live up to its stripped and dangerous cover", adding, "For every song that opens up and invites you in to experience the startling wonders of [Khan's] private world, there's another that just hangs like a gauzy veil of unusual sounds and vague lyrics, not so much impenetrable as too insubstantial to be worth the effort of investigation."[16]

Accolades

The album was listed at number six on Spin's 50 Best Albums of 2012, and the magazine wrote, "[W]hen the often-fantastical, mythology-loving [...] Bat for Lashes dropped a testament to her strength—an open, plaintive meditation on courage, self-esteem, and coming into one's own that also pushed her opulent, operatic sound forward—it was cultural reinforcement that self-sacrifice needn't be a part of the female pop-star narrative."[26] DIY named The Haunted Man the 10th best album of 2012, stating it "shines as an exemplary beacon of what can be achieved within the mainstream, given great ambition and artistic integrity."[27] Pitchfork Media placed the album at number 17 on its list of The Top 50 Albums of 2012, calling it "empathetic, bold, and outlandish".[28] The Haunted Man was ranked the 21st and 22nd best album of 2012 by The Guardian and the NME, respectively.[29][30]

PopMatters included the album at number 33 on its list of The 75 Best Albums of 2012 and noted that it "lays off the thick orchestration to reveal even more rhythmic complexity than usual", while citing it as Khan's "richest release".[31] It was named the 40th best album of 2012 by Fact magazine, which opined that Khan's "mimicry of Kate Bush outpaces her contemporaries (ahem, Florence) and sonically, the influence of austere, icy post-punk is a welcome development. The Haunted Man is not perfect, but with standouts like 'Laura' and 'Lilies', it's a well-composed pop album."[32] AllMusic ranked The Haunted Man as the 44th best album of 2012 and commented it contains "some of [Khan's] most striking and vital-sounding songs yet", concluding, "Balancing the primal beauty of her first album and the elaborate character studies of her second, she moved between sparkling synth pop and spare piano balladry with a dreamlike ease that reaffirmed her as one of pop's most captivating figures since Kate Bush's heyday."[3]

Commercial performance

The Haunted Man debuted at number six on the UK Albums Chart, selling 13,334 copies in its first week.[33] The following week, it fell to number thirty-six on sales of 3,991 copies.[34] The album entered the Billboard 200 at number 64, becoming Khan's highest-charting album so far in the United States.[35]

Track listing

All tracks written by Natasha Khan, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Lilies"   4:45
2."All Your Gold"   
4:31
3."Horses of the Sun"   
  • Khan
  • Kosten
4:59
4."Oh Yeah"   
4:54
5."Laura"  
  • Khan
  • Carey
  • Kosten[a]
4:25
6."Winter Fields"   
  • Khan
  • Kosten
3:41
7."The Haunted Man"   
  • Khan
  • Kosten
5:16
8."Marilyn"   
  • Khan
  • Carey
  • Kosten
4:35
9."A Wall"   
  • Khan
  • Carey
  • Kosten
4:00
10."Rest Your Head"   
  • Khan
  • Carey
  • Kosten[a]
4:03
11."Deep Sea Diver"   
  • Khan
  • Carey
  • Kosten[a]
6:19
Notes

Personnel

Credits for adapted from the liner notes of The Haunted Man.[37]

  • Natasha Khan – vocals, production (all tracks); autoharp (tracks 1, 3); celesta, clarinet synth, horn synth (track 1); bass synth (tracks 1, 7, 8, 11); programming (tracks 1, 6); glass percussion, harp (track 2); piano (tracks 2, 7, 11); synthesiser (tracks 2, 4, 6–11); live cymbals, Omnichord, string arrangement (track 3); bass piano, bells, sampler, shaker (track 4); beat programming (tracks 4, 8); horn arrangement, string arrangement (track 5); drums, string arrangement, woodwind arrangement (track 6); choral words (track 7); bass (track 9); string synth (tracks 9, 11); Mellotron, MPC, QY70, thumb piano (track 10); harmonium (track 11); concept, design
  • Kato Ådland – additional engineering (track 4); additional engineering on choral arrangement (track 7)
  • T.J. Allen – synthesiser (track 3)
  • Brendan Ashe – piano (track 4); choral arrangement, choral singer (track 7)
  • Max Baillie – viola (tracks 3, 6)
  • Nick Barr – viola (tracks 2, 7, 8)
  • Natalia Bonner – violin (tracks 2, 7, 8)
  • Ian Burdge – cello (tracks 2, 5, 7, 8)
  • Dan Carey – beat programming (tracks 1, 8, 11); mix engineering (track 1); mixing (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 8–11); drum programming (tracks 2, 9–11); percussion, piano (track 2); engineering, production (tracks 2, 4, 5, 8–11); guitar (tracks 2, 4, 9, 10); bass, programming (track 4); synthesiser (tracks 8, 10); Omnisphere (track 9); atmospheric sounds, sampler (track 11)
  • Ben Christophers – choral singer (track 7); choral sample, piano, synthesiser (track 8)
  • John Davis – mastering
  • Ali Dods – violin (tracks 2, 7, 8)

  • Rob Ellis – additional production, drums, marimba (track 4); additional engineering on choral arrangement, choral singer (track 7)
  • James Ford – programming, synthesiser (track 10)
  • Louisa Fuller – violin (tracks 2, 7, 8)
  • Sophie Harris – cello (tracks 2, 5, 7, 8)
  • Mo Hausler – additional engineering (tracks 3, 4); engineering (tracks 6, 7)
  • Sally Herbert – arrangement (tracks 2, 7); conductor (tracks 2, 5, 7); additional arrangement (tracks 5, 7)
  • Ian Humphries – violin (tracks 2, 7, 8)
  • Sarah Jones – backing vocals (track 7)
  • Mike Kearsey – trombone (tracks 5, 7, 8)
  • Tariq Khan – synthesiser (track 10)
  • David Kosten – beats (track 1); engineering (tracks 1, 3, 6, 7); production (tracks 1, 3, 6–9); keyboards, programming (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6–11); additional engineering (tracks 2, 4, 5, 8–11); additional production (tracks 2, 4, 5, 10, 11); mixing (tracks 3, 6, 7); synthesiser (tracks 3, 9); vocoder programming (track 8); vocoder (track 9); beat programming, harmonium beat (track 11)
  • Rick Koster – violin (tracks 2, 7, 8)
  • Oli Langford – string arrangement (track 3); violin (tracks 3, 6); additional arrangement (track 6)
  • Tom Loffman – additional engineering (track 3)
  • Eliza Marshall – bass flute (track 6); flute (tracks 7, 8)
  • Oren Marshall – tuba (track 5)
  • Ryan McGinley – photography
  • John Metcalfe – orchestral arrangement (track 1); sampler (tracks 1, 3); additional programming, arrangement, conductor (track 7)

  • Jeff Moore – violin (tracks 2, 7, 8)
  • Everton Nelson – violin leader (tracks 2, 7, 8)
  • Dan Newell – trumpet (tracks 5, 7, 8)
  • Sam Okell – string engineering (tracks 2, 5, 7, 8); horn engineering (tracks 5, 7, 8)
  • Justin Parker – piano, vocal engineering, vocal production (track 5)
  • Tim Pigott-Smith – violin (tracks 3, 6)
  • Jeremy Pritchard – bass (tracks 3, 9)
  • Richard Pryce – double bass (tracks 5, 7, 8)
  • Lucy Railton – cello (tracks 3, 6)
  • Kate Robinson – violin (tracks 2, 7, 8)
  • Steve Rossell – double bass (tracks 5, 7, 8)
  • Isabel Seeliger-Morley – assistant mix engineering (tracks 3, 6, 7)
  • Dave Sitek – synth sound (track 1); synthesiser (track 9)
  • Alexis Smith – mix engineering (track 1); engineering (tracks 2, 4, 5, 8–11)
  • Drew Smith – additional engineering (track 3); assistant engineering (tracks 4, 6, 7)
  • Michael Spearman – drums (tracks 3, 7, 9)
  • Leo Taylor – live drums (tracks 1, 9); drums (track 4)
  • Adrian Utley – additional synthesiser, guitar (track 3)
  • Chris Vatalaro – timpani (tracks 7, 8)
  • Finn Vine – guitar (tracks 1, 3)
  • Vicci Wardman – viola (tracks 2, 7, 8)
  • Richard Watkins – French horn (tracks 5, 7, 8)
  • Richard Welland – design
  • Bruce White – viola (tracks 2, 7, 8)
  • Chris Worsey – cello (tracks 2, 5, 7, 8)
  • Zosienka – sketches

Charts

Chart (2012–13) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[38] 21
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[39] 12
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[40] 21
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[41] 81
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[42] 18
French Albums (SNEP)[43] 31
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[44] 72
Irish Albums (IRMA)[45] 7
Italian Albums (FIMI)[46] 74
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[47] 32
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[48] 24
Scottish Albums (OCC)[49] 8
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[50] 53
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[51] 29
UK Albums (OCC)[52] 6
US Billboard 200[53] 64
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[54] 13
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[55] 21

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[56] Silver 60,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

Release history

Region Date Label Ref.
Australia 12 October 2012 EMI [57]
Germany [58]
Ireland Parlophone [59]
United Kingdom 15 October 2012 [60]
France EMI [61][62]
Italy 16 October 2012 [63]
United States 23 October 2012 Capitol [64]
Poland 29 October 2012 EMI [65]

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