Mercury Prize-nominated songwriter Bat For Lashes is back, and out the gate, she’s… solemn.
“Laura” — the first track from forthcoming album “The Haunted Man” — has a music video featuring a haunted man and an interpretive dance honoring the song’s namesake. The nervous, slow waltz showcases BfL’s ringing voice, which would sound just marvelous in a velvet red curtained room.
But I also can’t shake what it reminds me of: “Ooo Laura, you’re more than a superstar” is eerily reminiscent of Barry Manilow’s “Mandy” (or if you prefer The Simpsons version, “Margie / You came and found me a turkey”). The video is gorgeously shot, so any unintended Laura-Mandy-Margie similarities are forgiven.
“The Haunted Man” has a fantastic, NSFW album cover shot by nudes specialist Ryan McGinley, and will be out Oct. 23 via EMI.