Telling tales seems to be Natasha Khan's own magic skill. In the guise of Bat For Lashes, this Brighton-based singer-songwriter's look is a dressing-up box fantasy - feathered headdress, sequins and kohl.

Her music sounds weirdly alluring, too: a blend of folk and electronica with spaced-out vocals, showcased on her just-released debut album Fur And Gold (Echo Records).

While Khan's original background as an artist involved experimental sound installations and spooky visual montage, her album actually reveals a knack for beautifully lush pop tunes.

Which means it's easy to get carried away with her flights of fancy on tracks such as Horse And I (in which she's summoned by a steed for a mysterious quest), the Gothic-romantic mantra of Trophy, or - in a break from heavy symbolism and supernature - the simple, piano-led tear-jerker Sad Eyes.

Live, Bat For Lashes morphs into a multi-instrumental posse (with Khan joined by sidekicks Ginger Lee and Abi Fry) taking in guitar, harpsichord, viola, keyboards and funky percussion.

The comparisons she has drawn so far (Cat Power, Kate Bush, Bjork) might smack of hyperbole but they also demand further introduction; this headline date follows her band's cool performances at the Green Man Festival and Bestival.

Better still, the bijou Spitz is one of London's most enjoyably atmospheric gig venues. Are you sitting - or standing - comfortably? Then she'll begin...

Tonight, The Spitz, 109 Commercial Street E1, 7.30pm, £7.50 to £10 (returns only). Tel: 020 7392 9032. www.spitz.co.uk Tube: Liverpool Street