by Frank Gualtier -- 09/17/07, 09/18/07
T
he LP Fur and Gold, released between 2006 and 2007 (UK-Europe to US), by Bat For Lashes (aka Natasha Khan) strikes me more as an experience than an album.
Largely 60's-70's era based arrangements provide environment for witty mini epics like Horse & I and Trophy, the anti-ballad What's A Girl To Do?, a warning of ways in Seal Jubilee, dream sequence-like tales such as I Saw A Light, a cover of Bruce Springsteen's I'm On Fire and much more.
Her early soul influence shines in the exquisitely dark Sarah, a song possibly stolen from Berry Gordy's X vault of 'WHOAtown' - the top secret just in case this other shit don't fly tainted space recordings. With words like "Chewing fingernails in her shit-eating grin" and "They cut out her heart when she was a little girl" enveloped in a pure motown sound this doll is so wrong she's right.
Her voice is unique for the most part but at times she does sound a fair bit like Bjork.
On the whole the claim is that much of what she writes is fairy tale inspired. I won't argue that but for the studious there's an entire universe of innuendo and double entendre going on in subtext. I could be wrong[1] but it's worth asking yourself exactly who The Wizard is next time you run off to shoot a lion.
When you listen to this album, and I strongly urge you to do so, be sure to give it your full ear because you're quite probably hearing the musical equivalent of an Einstein:Shakespeare mashup from a long lost angst filled mystic who's watch was stopped some forty odd years ago by an inner child playing games.
Natasha Khan's genius runs deep.
Fur and Gold is an an experience you'll be glad to have had and a prize album for any collection even remotely within earshot of rock, pop or folk.
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[ amazon: Fur and Gold | text lyrics | handwritten lyrics ]
Notes
1And it's raining popcorn on mars.
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