A Thousand Kisses

Sexwitch “Ha Howa Ha Howa”

Natasha Khan describes herself as a perfectionist, and you can hear that in Bat for Lashes’ music – it’s not overly fussy, but it is very intentional and precise. This is part of why her songs can be so emotionally devastating; she makes every feeling and mood sound so incredibly accurate. Khan is moving away from that in Sexwitch, and to a large extent that comes from interpreting other artists’ work. All of the tracks are adaptations of old, mostly forgotten psychedelic records from around the world. Their versions of these songs aren’t exact replicas; it’s more about using them as a map to get to a particular vibe, and loosely translating the lyrics to unlock something in Khan. The result is intense, wild, and unreservedly sexual. “Ha Howa Ha Howa” is pure lust from the rhythm on up to Khan’s vocals, which range from orgasmic wails to breathy, ritualistic chanting. The main lyric here is “he addicted me with a thousand kisses, and I addicted him,” and in context it’s a description of seduction that is itself totally seductive. It’s all very loose and you can really get a sense of Khan giving in to the music, but the funny thing is, it’s just as precise in invoking a specific emotion as anything else she’s done.

Buy it from Amazon.