The Carpenters’ “We’ve Only Just Begun” turned 50 last month — and now Bat for Lashes has released a dazzling rendition of the classic.
Natasha Khan offers a sparse take on the track, omitting the original’s climax and Karen Carpenter’s upbeat vocals. “And when the evening comes, we smile,” she sings. “So much of life ahead/We’ll find a place where there’s room to grow.”
Bat for Lashes performed the cover several times in 2016, but this is the official studio version. According to Instagram, Khan’s vocals and piano were recorded during lockdown in Los Angeles. She’s backed by the London Contemporary Orchestra, with strings arranged by Hugh Brunt.
The Carpenters rendition follows Khan’s spectacular take on Don Henley’s “The Boys of Summer.” During recent shows, Khan has also covered Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work” and Cyndi Lauper’s “I Drove All Night.”
Bat for Lashes released their last album, Lost Girls, last year — which was originally a script Khan wrote for a full-length feature film. “It was heavily influenced by Eighties children’s films and vampire films, many set in Portland and California,” she told The Guardian last year. “But as the songs progressed, I felt like I was writing the film soundtrack. Music does tend to overtake film ideas, as it comes out much more easily.”
