It’s a big day for Sigur Rós. This morning they surprise-released Átta, their first album in a decade. This evening they begin an ambitious tour that sees them perform new tracks, rejuvenate familiar favourites, and resurrect rarely heard classics — with the help of a 41-piece orchestra.
Natasha Khan loves a concept. One of Bat For Lashes’ albums documents the inner journey of a woman who honeymoons alone after her fiancé’s killed in a crash on the way to their wedding. The most recent — inspired by Los Angeles and ’80s culture (in particular teen vampire film The Lost Boys) — has a character named Nikki Pink investigating a mysterious biker gang, the Lost Girls.
The same attention to detail goes into her live shows. In an interview filmed during rehearsals for her Meltdown performance, Khan speaks about embodiment, genuine connection and community, energy exchange, using dance to tell stories, introducing the new persona of the Mother Witch, the importance of growing and constantly trying to push herself, and the next Bat For Lashes album (inspired by becoming a parent).
New Song is so much more than the pulsing disco anthem that gets the entire Royal Festival Hall audience out of their seats. The track, which compares the beginning of a relationship with the rush of writing (or hearing) a new song, can easily be seen as a reflection on Warpaint’s career. Over the course of four stunning albums and almost 20 years, the Los Angeles quartet have always been enraptured by the new, constantly redefining their sound from one LP to the next.
Nils van der Linden