Bat For Lashes - MCT’s favourite tip for the Mercury Music Prize

Natasha Khan It’s not often I advocate gambling, but in the case of Brighton’s Bat For Lashes, I know I’m onto a winner. Seriously, I’ve been rambling on about the sheer amazingness of this band for so long nobody will actually talk to me anymore. Still, you’d be best off forgoing that round of beers after work tonight - instead, head to your nearest branch of William Hill and put that tenner on the ethereal group to win this year’s Mercury Music Prize. Read my lips: Bat For Lashes are making the most stunning music this side of 1990.
Fronted by the band’s songwriter, the extremely nice Natasha Khan, this four-piece made one of the best albums of 2006 with their nominated debut, Fur and Gold. Fizzing with theramins, haunting lyrics and the sort of tunes you’d sell your own mother for, it’s testament to its spine tingling beauty that I spent an entire day in a weird state of hypnosis listening to four 50 second clips when the review copy failed to materialise.
From the melancholic beauty of ‘Bat’s Mouth’ to the sexual Duracell that is ‘The Wizard‘ it’s impossible to pick a favourite. Oh go on then, ‘Prescilla‘. No, ‘The Horse and I‘. Damn.

Having nailed Glastonbury and Latitude, the band will be playing Field Day on August 11, Connect Festival and Electric Picnic (August 31 - September 2), and Bestival (September 7-9). If you’ve got tickets to the ridiculously cool Parisian festival Rock En Seine, they’re playing there as well (August 24-26).
What? More up and coming acts? You’d better click here then, hadn’t you.