As Bat for Lashes, Natasha Khan has flirted with out-of-body transcendence through tightly conceived pop songs that probe inward while emanating cosmic energy highly suitable for interpretive dancing.
Sexwitch, her psychy side project with Toy’s Dan Carey, is all about that cosmic energy. As the jokey band name implies, these six songs sound like Khan and Carey cutting loose, unburdened by pesky things like precision and song structure.
Impressively, the album was recorded in a day, and it swells with atmosphere. The songs are covers of 60s and 70s psych and folk tunes from Morocco, Thailand, the United States and Iran that allow Khan to go bonkers vocally.
Amidst raging drums on the epic Kassidat El Hakka, she howls as if staring into an abyss, cackles maniacally and screams and on slow burner Ghoroobbaa Ghashangan her vocals hard pan left and right around a droney bass line as if swirling through a dust storm.
Top track: Kassidat El Hakka
