P.S. I Love You: Reviewing "The Bride" By Bat For Lashes

Natasha Khan, aka Bat For Lashes

The first thing you need to understand about Bat For Lashes' fourth studio album, "The Bride", is that it tells a story, a sad, sad story.  Once you understand that, then the experience of sitting down and listening to this album becomes much more pleasant, because it moves quite slowly at times.

Natasha Khan, also known by the name Bat For Lashes, a Pakistani-British singer-songwriter has already established herself, in her home country, as a creative and quirky artist, having drawn several comparisons to Kate Bush.  What Khan does here is lace a filigree of dreamy sounds, trip-hoppy synth beats, orchestral and synthesized overtures similar to Vangelis, and Khan's smoky voice spinning a tragic tale, the result taking us through the incandescent emotions of a woman known as the Bride.

The story starts with a happy overture called "I Do", a happy harp filling the air, and the Bride anticipating her wedding the next day, sure that this day will bring her happiness.  In "Joe's Dream", the tone becomes a little more frantic with an ambient wash of percussion as Joe, the groom, wakes from a dream, a premonition of a tragedy to come.  "In God's House" brings the sound to a sort of delirium as the Bride, waiting at the altar, learns that Joe has died in a car crash on the way to the wedding.  Stunned, in "Honeymoon Alone", the Bride departs for her honeymoon alone, dragging the cans behind her, an empty seat by her side, trying to figure out what has just happened.  My favorite song is "Sunday Love", with its driving rhythm, Khan's voice mounting to a keen as the Bride heads into life with an angry grief pushing her forward.  "Never Forgive the Angels" slows the story down to a boil as the Bride continues to contemplate the death of her love, infuriated against the angels who brought Joe the premonition of his death.  In "Close Encounters", the beats give way to strings as the Bride contemplates how near her love is to her, even though he is in death.  "Widow's Peak" is a haunting, ethereal song that gives way to spoken word in lieu of singing.  The gentle guitar of "Land's End" recounts how winter to come, and the Bride has driven to the coast, still contemplating her lost groom.  Set to a piano, the Bride starts to find reconciliation by understanding that, even if she knew what would happen, she would still go through it all in "If I Knew".  A steady bass guitar with a soft wash of synths enfold the Bride's words as she realized that one day she might recover enough to fall in love again in "I Will Love Again."  "In Your Bed" shimmers dulcidly as the Bride dreams of her love's arms as she lays in his bed.  In "Clouds", the Bride continues to ponder her lost groom, watching the storm clouds gather, comparing them to him, but realizing that the rain will also cleanse her soul.

To be honest, on its own merit, this album would be mediocre at best.  The music is tepid, and Khan's voice is not that great.  What makes this album genius is the story.  When you understand the story, then the record seems to spin and come together.  Khan's voice and the absorbing ambient music takes us through the rollercoaster ride of grief.  This is a great concept album, and you will mourn with the Bride.