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9.0
88264
9.0 |
Exclaim
The Bride is not only a journey for Natasha and the characters she has created — as with all great albums, listeners, too, will be met with a sea of contemplation
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9.0
88477
9.0 |
No Ripcord
With The Bride, Khan has created a sublime tale of sorrow and recovery, of accepting loss and working through pain to become a stronger person
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8.5
88462
8.5 |
The 405
The Bride might not be as accessible as its predecessors, yet after time invested it will have you curiously considering ceremony, matrimony, and individuality
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8.5
88280
8.5 |
The Line Of Best Fit
Anyone can make a concept album, but to make one this good requires a director’s eye for plot, pacing, and what to leave on the cutting room floor. Perhaps more musicians should go to film school
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8.0
88294
8.0 |
DIY
Both achingly sad and strangely uplifting, Bat For Lashes’ tragic honeymoon concept album arrives fully-formed
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8.0
88268
8.0 |
NOW
Her most mature and cohesive yet
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8.0
88300
8.0 |
Evening Standard
The concept may be a little contrived, even overdone — but you don’t have to follow the story to be caught up in her doomful cinema
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8.0
88306
8.0 |
The Guardian
Beautiful, darkly intriguing torch songs
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8.0
88307
8.0 |
The Independent
Soaring vocals bring this album to vivid life
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8.0
88198
8.0 |
Mojo
There is a single-minded intensity to the writing and the production. Print edition only
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8.0
88199
8.0 |
Q
Khan has delivered her defining statement as an artist. Print edition only
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8.0
88200
8.0 |
Uncut
Her most accomplished realisation of her wandering mind yet
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8.0
88247
8.0 |
NME
Her most ambitious yet
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8.0
88260
8.0 |
Spin
Khan’s meticulous tearing down of one romantic myth has actually validated another: that only through suffering can one attain clarity
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8.0
88603
8.0 |
Clash
A stellar soundtrack to the complexities of womanhood within the institution of marriage, a triumph of raw intensity
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8.0
88348
8.0 |
Loud And Quiet
It’s certainly BFL’s most downbeat work to date, but, in it, there’s also a message that hope and strength can crawl out of even the most tragic of situations
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8.0
88389
8.0 |
God Is In The TV
Through its tale and analysis on romantic impermanence, there’s no denying that Bat For Lashes gives a multi-faceted and deep meaning to the wedding phrase “Till Death Do Us Part“
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7.6
88379
7.6 |
Pitchfork
Further proof that Khan, unlike almost all of her contemporaries, understands how to wade into mystical realms and emerge with big, beguiling pop
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7.5
88409
7.5 |
Under The Radar
Khan is like predecessors Joni Mitchell and Kate Bush, with a kind of voice that floats in on a breeze and dances up and down on its current in the manner of a seagull
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7.5
88416
7.5 |
Beardfood
The first listen is incredible, don’t waste it
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7.5
88236
7.5 |
Consequence Of Sound
The Bride’s captivating story and thoughtful arrangements prove addictive, as Khan’s impressive songwriting rewards multiple listens, another step toward the vaunted pantheon of British art rock
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7.5
88298
7.5 |
A.V. Club
The Bride goes past dreamy and into lullaby territory after a while, and the listener’s engagement with the music may drift off as well
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7.0
88196
7.0 |
Slant Magazine
The album works best as a song cycle rather than a collection of pop hooks
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7.0
88197
7.0 |
The Music
It takes guts to produce a record of such thematic ambition
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7.0
88461
7.0 |
Spectrum Culture
Despite its aims, The Bride doesn’t achieve greatness. It does, however, come tantalizingly close
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7.0
88801
7.0 |
PopMatters
It’s not a quick fix to the pain in her heart, but it is part of the essential journey, one that may be fabricated but feels all too real nonetheless thanks to Khan’s riveting and insightful storytelling
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7.0
88493
7.0 |
Gig Soup
Overall, it’s a strong effort which loses momentum, although the commitment to tell a story is admirable
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7.0
88381
7.0 |
Tiny Mix Tapes
Bat For Lashes has contributed an imaginative installment to our love affair with marriage, in all its charms and discontents
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7.0
88373
7.0 |
Rolling Stone
There are many songs on The Bride that transcend its thematic conceit and stand on their own as unique puzzle pieces in Kahn's steadfastly mystifying persona
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7.0
88377
7.0 |
musicOMH
Some may write it off as one-paced (and they’d have a point), but there are moments of heartache and beauty here that will be hard to touch in 2016
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7.0
88322
7.0 |
All Music
The Bride is beautifully crafted, but not always thrilling
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6.3
88961
6.3 |
Earbuddy
It suffers from a pack of musical ideas and variety, keeping it from rivaling her best work, but at the same time making it clear she still has much to say
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6.0
88560
6.0 |
State
Committing to The Bride is rewarding and your relationship with the songs and the character will deepen once you overcome the dizzying excitement of the honeymoon period
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6.0
88195
6.0 |
The Skinny
There’s plenty to appreciate here; just don’t expect much in the way of wedding playlist material
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6.0
88343
6.0 |
The Observer
The Bride chews over her love and its loss in a series of hovering, swelling ballads that somehow do not cloy
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6.0
88279
6.0 |
Drowned In Sound
They’re the highpoints - and to be fair they are pretty high. But they’re offset by a ream of songs - ‘Never Forgive The Angels’, ‘Land’s End’, ‘If I Knew’ - that don’t really do a whole lot
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5.8
88415
5.8 |
Pretty Much Amazing
No one’s denying she’s a good singer, technically speaking; I’m simply denying that these are good songs
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4.0
88309
4.0 |
The Irish Times
Woven together into a concept, these songs tell an intriguing story but as standalone tracks, most of them are simply dull
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