BEWITCHING, dreamy and mysterious, Bat For Lashes is one of the most intriguing acts to have emerged in recent years.

Her two albums have been nominated for Mercury Music Prizes, and BFL – aka Natasha Khan – also earned nominations for Best Breakthrough and Best Female performer.

She is, quite simply, an artist who is as exciting as she is eye-catching.

On Thursday, Natasha returns to Oxford for a show at the city’s O2 Academy. The gig will give fans a chance to hear haunting tunes from new album Two Suns, follow up to the mystical debut Fur And Gold.

Her blend of spooky childhood reveries and magical piano balladry fire the imagination and have even inspired the making of a fantasy film-musical.

Fans include local boys Radiohead – who personally requested Natasha to support them on their European tour – as well as stadium-fillers Coldplay.

Written in the Californian desert Two Suns, which contains the stunning single Daniel (a light-hearted reminiscence of teenage love and nostalgia), delves into the philosophy of the self, and explores metaphysical ideas about the connectedness of existence.

Yes... I know. This is as far from the usual Radio 1 fare as you can get. It’s pretty cosmic.

“I hope I don’t overlabour the point,” she says. “Or fly off into using too many things about unicorns and tie-dye or whatever!”

Stargazing aside, she’s a performer of huge creativity – and takes her work very seriously. “I think artists are a bit like race horses,” she explains. “You’re highly strung and sensitive and you know what you want. But you can get easily spooked!”

The show starts at 7pm.

Tickets are £17.