The Dream of Delphi

by Bat for Lashes

Overview

Bat for Lashes' Natasha Khan plays with the pantheon of personas she's created over the years -- The Haunted Man, The Bride, Pearl from Two Suns -- with the ease of shuffling a tarot deck. It's no wonder, then, that she created her own hand-illustrated oracle cards featuring the Motherwitch, her avatar for Dream of Delphi. Khan's fifth full-length explores the nurturing magic of motherhood, starting with her own experiences (in 2020, she gave birth to her daughter, to whom the album is dedicated) and reaching all the way back to Mother Earth. Bat for Lashes' music is richest when Khan focuses on the reality within her fantasies, and by pairing the miracle of her daughter's first days on earth with mystical expressions, she creates a feeling of connection that goes far deeper than Two Suns' duality. She gives herself over to the spell of new motherhood completely on "The Dream of Delphi," where soaring strings, synths, and harp (courtesy of Mary Lattimore) nearly match her elation. Khan's music has never been this consistently happy before; songs like "Delphi Dancing" and "Waking Up" beam as brightly as sunrises. That she sustains this warm and wonder-filled mood across Dream of Delphi reflects a different kind of artistic confidence than she displayed on her previous albums. When Khan's joy is beyond words, she doesn't try to pin it down with lyrics. With its plentiful instrumentals, Dream of Delphi is designed to be experienced as one flowing piece, to the point where the snappy synth pop cover of Baauer's "Home" (her daughter's favorite song) initially feels like an outlier. Though it's not as dramatic as some of Bat for Lashes' earlier work, moments such as the tender relief and expectation of "The Midwives Have Left" are just as cinematic. Khan's flair for intertwined imagery shines on "Letter to My Daughter" when she sings "you came from a spiral unfolding" over unfurling synth arpeggios, and on "Her First Morning," where flutes and her airy vocals support each other like mother and child. Dream of Delphi is at its most memorable when Khan grounds the album's rapture in the poignancy of parenthood. "You're a gift that I'll come to give away in time," she sings on "Christmas Day," crystallizing the bittersweet reality of devoting yourself to someone who, if everything goes right, will leave you. At times, Dream of Delphi's soothing yet awestruck moods play more like a soundtrack than a set of songs, but those who savor Khan's powers of expression as much as her art pop savvy will find a lot to love here. ~ Heather Phares

Product Details

Release Date:	05/31/2024
Label:	Decca
UPC:	0602465018318
Rank:	751

Tracks

1. The Dream of Delphi
2. Christmas Day
3. Letter To My Daughter
4. At Your Feet
5. The Midwives Have Left
6. Home
7. Breaking Up
8. Delphi Dancing
9. Her First Morning
10. Waking up
11. The Dream of Delphi

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Bat for Lashes   Primary Artist
Natasha Khan   Bells,Piano,Vocals,Harmonium,Mellotron,Percussion,Vibraphone,Synthesizer
Mary Lattimore   Harp
Hazel Mills   Piano
Brad Oberhofer   Piano,Synthesizer
TJ Allen   Timpani
Jake Falby   Strings
Logan Hone   Flute,Saxophone

Technical Credits

Tyler Karmen   Programming,Drum Programming,Vocal Programming,Engineer,Producer
Ben Christophers   Composer,Producer,Rhythm Programming
Natasha Khan   Composer,Producer,Programming,Bass Programming,Drum Programming,Vocal Programming
Mary Lattimore   Composer
Guy Davie   Mastering Engineer
Eli Teplin   Composer
TJ Allen   Mixing,Producer,Vocal Engineer,Drum Programming
Adio Marchant   Composer
Jake Falby   Arranger,Composer,Producer
Ross Birchard   Composer
Harry Rodrigues   Composer