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Fur and Gold

Artist: Bat for Lashes
Label: Echo/Parlophone
Category: Music

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Seller: thecomplex
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

44 reviews
Sales Rank: 1168

Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 4.9 x 0.4

EAN: 5099950206407
ASIN: B000T27YC6

Release Date: July 16, 2007
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days

Tracks:

•	Horse And I
•	Trophy
•	Tahiti
•	What's A Girl To Do
•	Sad Eyes
•	Wizard
•	Prescilla
•	Bat's Mouth
•	Seal Jubilee
•	Sarah
•	I Saw A Light

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.co.uk Review
Look at Natasha Khan, with her Cleopatra shawl and elfish hair, on the cover of iFur and Gold/i and you'll surely have this half-Pakistani, half-English songstress pegged as the first British riposte to the US freak-folk movement that's thrown up figures like Joanna Newsom, Devendra Banhart, and Cocorosie. In some ways, that's an accurate comparison: Bat for Lashes has a way with mystique, one which elevates even quite simple topics--the break-up tale of "What's a Girl to Do?"--into grand achievements of ghostly trauma: "My bat-lightning heart," she whispers, "Wants to fly away". Dig a little deeper, though, because the music to be found on iFur and Gold/I has a more complex provenance. "Horse and I", a harpsichord-led track embellished with Theremin and a militaristic drum motif, is the sort of vintage-modern soundscape reminiscent of Bjork at her most restrained, while elsewhere the dramatic tale-telling of "Prescilla" and "Bat's Mouth" suggest Bat for Lashes might yet develop into a songwriter of the poetic calibre of Kate Bush. The debut album from Bat for Lashes is a haunting, richly orchestrated work that, for all its experimentation and intelligence, is emotional and deeply moving. i--Louis Pattison/i

Customer Reviews:

Showing reviews 1-5 of 44

1 2 3 4 5 6 ...9 Next »

We need pop mavericks August 7, 2007
Mr. M. Purdy (Manchester, England)
27 out of 28 found this review helpful

Awful name for a band but then people kept mentioning Bjork and Kate Bush in the same sentence as Natasha Khan's band of female musical mavericks, so I decided Bat For Lashes could be ignored no more. Why did I wait! br /What made the early Kate Bush and Bjork records so special was their naivety and total lack of self-consciousness coupled with a wonderful, if off-kilter, pop sensibility. And it's that which Bat For Lashes have in spades. br /While our two maturing heroines have become increasingly avant guard or insular, Khan remains fresh-faced, up-beat and in love with the melodic possibilities of a simple pop hook. And, hand on heart, there is not a song on the album that has me reaching for the track-skipping switch. br /This is a fine record, perhaps the best I have heard in the past 12 months, that deserves a wide audience. We need pop mavericks (even if they do sing about wizards, bats etc) and Natasha Khan more than carries the torch. Great stuff.

5 out of 5 stars

Strangely strange but oddly normal July 18, 2007
B. J. Townsend
12 out of 12 found this review helpful

We saw this girl and her mostly female band at Glastonbury, and were instantly mesmerised by her melodic voice and the band's members subtle use of the weird sounding instruments and great backing vocals.In addition,they were able to change around instruments between themselves, creating some brilliant music that was in total control all times, a wonderful sound that was different but somehow familiar. br / br /We ordered the CD from Amazon, who were out stock, but it arrived two weeks before they said it would, have been playing it ever since,just magical. br / br /Bob and Barb Townsend

5 out of 5 stars

Stunning February 1, 2007
IWFIcon
12 out of 13 found this review helpful

The hype gave everyone the bullet point references; a bit of Bjork, a sprinkling of Kate Bush...and whilst those are comparisons that are certainly not off the mark, the end product is something that is so much better than labelling the "new" anything. br / br /It was the Phil Spector stylings of "What's A Girl To Do" that first turned me onto Natasha Khan (aka Bat For Lashes). It's 60's tinged pop melody combined with its spoken word vocal to create something that you rarely get from a record these days, an atmosphere. And this is something that carries on throughout the album. If the Arctic Monkeys give us a witty real-life insight into modern-day Yorkshire life, Bat For Lashes transport us to another world entirely. A mystical, ethereal one that draws you in repeatedly until you are lost in the gothic, almost fairytale world that is created. br / br /Of course it may be sounding all a little too far "out there" for it's own good, but fear not. Khan may take us on this otherworldly journey, but she has the good grace to accompany it with some sublime sing-a-long choruses and catchy melodies. Particular highlights include Trophy (again with Khan's narrative vocals), Horse I and I Saw A Light. But really, this is not an album to skip tracks on, this is an album to immerse yourself in from start to finish. It really is that good. br / br /In my humble opinion, this has to be a front runner for the 2007 Mercury Music Prize

5 out of 5 stars

Believe the reviews. This is refreshingly good! March 14, 2007
Stephen Lloyd (Bradford, West Yorkshire)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

When i first bought and played this album i knew it was good. I was just unsure whether i actualy liked it or not. Days after first listening however i was haunted by vocals, melodies and tunes that I had no recollection of hearing when i first played 'fur and gold'. On the second play i knew that i liked it. On the third i fell completeley in love with it. br / br /Bats for lashes is essentialy the talent of Natasha Khan abely assisted by an eclectic array of musicians and, significantly, by uber talented producer, keybordist and programmer David Kosten (check out faultline 'Your love means everthing' and the Ben Christophers albums he produced to see the influence he has had on 'fur') br / br /It is indeed very true that this album has shades of Kate Bush, Bjork and Portishead in it's mix ( i also think we should throw in Nico period velvets on 'I saw a light'-it's that John Cale viola!) but it is essentialy entirely Natasha's baby and it is inexplicably unique to her. br / br /I have not heard an album for many a year where each track is so significantly different from it's predecessor but yet seamlesslesy works as a whole when heard in one sitting. All the tracks on this album are beautiful and all are haunting and memorable without being repetitive or simple constructions. You can revisit these tracks many times, as i have done, and their impact is always different. The impact of these songs does appear to be influnced by the listners own mood at the time. br / br /Natasha Khan has real talent. I know 'Fur and Gold' has garnered critical praise since it's release. I just hope that it sells sufficent amounts to encourage it's creator to provide us with more of the gorgeous same. br /

5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant CD. Brilliant live. May 7, 2007
C. Cook (Where in the world am I? HEAVEN!)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

I saw the end half of Bat for Lashes performing live last night and they were stunning. A female four-piece headed by the beautiful Natasha Khan with her intimate, original and mesmerizing vocals. The band played a series of strange instruments (one of br / Natasha banged against the floor to create an echoey drum-like sound. br / br /The gig was advertised very much as a solo artist with accompniments however they were much more of a complete band, they had a wonderful rythm between them with lovely harmonies and the stunning use of of merely clapping. Although I couldn't make it until the second half, it was clear to see they had completely captivated the audience very quickly. On the quieter numbers, the crowd wasn't making a sound at all until it came to the end where the room would errupt in cheers and emphatic clapping. When they fnished my friend said "Quick, let's go get a CD" but, listening to the roars and chants for an encore, I simply said "No, they're getting back on that stage." It may have taken several minutes, but we forced them back on and by the end people at the front were in tears. br / br /I spoke to Natasha briefly after the gig and got her to sign my CD which, out of interest, has not left my player all day. This is a stunning and influential album with echoes of Bjork and Kate Bush, some of the tracks even reminding me of Arcade Fire. Special appraisals have to be noted for the hauntingly perfect, harmonious track 'Sarah' and also to the spectacular, beat-clapped 'Prescilla' and 'The Wizard'. br / br /Certainly a wonderful break-through worthy of making an entry into any best of 2006 list. Euphonic and echoey, this album and this band are best described simply as: beautiful.

Showing reviews 1-5 of 44

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