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| Fur & Gold | 
 enlarge | Artist: Bat For Lashes
Label: Caroline
Category: Music
List Price: $12.98
Buy New: $6.00
You Save: $6.98 (54%)
New (37) Used (17) from $4.97
Avg. Customer Rating:  24 reviews
Sales Rank: 12914
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.4
MPN: 98201
UPC: 094639820122
EAN: 0094639820122
ASIN: B000RHRFUO
Release Date: July 31, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Horse And I | | • | Trophy | | • | Tahiti | | • | What's a Girl To Do? | | • | Sad Eyes | | • | The Wizard | | • | Prescilla | | • | Bat's Mouth | | • | Seal Jubilee | | • | Sarah | | • | I Saw A Light | | • | I'm on Fire (Bonus Track) |
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| Editorial Reviews:
From Amazon.co.uk
Look at Natasha Khan, with her Cleopatra shawl and elfish hair, on the cover of Fur and Gold, and you'll surely have this half-Pakistani, half-English songstress pegged as the first British riposte to the U.S. 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 Fur and Gold 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 Bjoerk 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. --Louis Pattison
Amazon.com
Bat for Lashes Photos
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| Customer Reviews: Read 19 more reviews...
 Relax,,, Settle in,,, And get ready to be mesmorized August 15, 2007
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
Bat for Lashes is the one-woman band of Natasha Khan, a UK singer song-writer of Pakistani origin. If you aren't familiar with her sound, imagine Bjork meets Joanna Newsom meets Kate Bush with a splash of Dido even. I'm not entirely sure where I found out about this, it's either my 17 yr old daughter or internet-only station WOXY, but no matter, you are in for a delight.
"Fur and Gold" (11 tracks, plus 1 bonus track; 49 min.) is the debut album of Bat for Lashes. The opener "Horse and I" is a harpsichord-and-drums driven song, setting the table. "Trophy" is a quiet but threatening song with the ever-returning line "Heaven is a feeling I get in your arms", just beautiful. "What's A Girl To Do" (2nd UK single) is one of the more 'upbeat' tracks on the album. "Sad Eyes" is a beautiful piano ballad. "Prescilla" (1st UK single) is the most immediately accessible track of the album. "Bat's Mouth" is another slow-burner, with lush violins. It all leads up to the last track of the regular album, a 7 min. haunting "I Saw a Light". The bonus track is a (single B-side) cover of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire", and a textbook example of how a cover should be done: completely reinterpreted yet recognisible, just perfect.
This album was originally released in the UK a year ago and is now, slowly, finding an audience in the US. Natasha Khan is a talent to be watched. I have been completely mesmorized by "Fur and Gold". This is not an album you'll play in a hurry. Relax, settle in, and play this. I bet you'll be mesmorized too.
 A banquet for the shadows December 21, 2007
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Imagine walking through a forest flooded by golden light, full of mystery and magic, and the sorrow of things that are fading away.
That's sort of the atmosphere of "Fur and Gold," the debut album by Bat For Lashes. The Brighton band -- really a one-woman band for Natasha Khan -- churns out a stream of shimmering, dark, fantastical chamberpop that sounds like the halfway point between Feist and Joanna Newsom.
It opens with the dreamlike "Horse and I," with its throbs of harpsichord and marching military drums (a Jeanne D'Arc influence?). "Got woken in the night/by a mystic golden light/My head soaked in river water," Khan murmurs, sounding both desperate and sleepy. "The smell of redwood giants/A banquet for the shadows/Horse and I, we're dancers in the dark/Came upon the headdress/It was gilded, dark and golden..."
It rises into a desperate plea, as "The children sang/I was so afraid I took it to my head and prayed/They sang to me, "This is yours to wear/You're the chosen one, there's no turning back." The song swells and falls, with Khan murmurs painfully, "There is no turning back/there is no turn..."
Khan does try out some more conventional songs, like the "What's A Girl To Do," a dramatic lament about a fizzled-out affair. But even then, she includes some unique phrases ("And my bat lightning heart/Wants to fly away"). And then there's "Sad Eyes," a painfully loving post-breakup song ("Keep my love as light as a feather").
Then she regains some of that more magical sound, with songs about powerful wizards, black snow, beautiful wild girls who die or grow up, centaurs, haunted forests. It finishes with the exquisite "I Saw A Light," a piano ballad that briefly swells up into a musical storm.... right before Khan says softly, "And I said goodbye."
The music industry doesn't turn out much music like this -- pop music that relies on sensual instrumentation and brilliant songwriting, rather than jiggle or computerized vocals. Fantastical forests and seas, tropical islands, lovelorn urbanites, and magical horses all somehow weave into this -- it's like a long, beautiful dream.
It also has pretty unique instrumentation -- much of it is harpsichord and strings, but there's also plenty of military-style drums, cymbals, some mellow electric guitar, trumpet in places, and a shimmer of autoharp. Khan weaves the sounds together expertly into a dark, lush, velvety tapestry that sounds like the work of a longtime professional.
And somehow it doesn't seem surprising that her vocals fit in perfectly -- she can do husky, soaring, a childlike singsong, or the half-spoken chant of "What's A Girl To Do?", where she seems to be almost conversing with the listener. Often she's backed by a ghostly, sensual chorale, which sounds like her own voice.
"Fur and Gold" is all darkness, gold, feathers and twilight -- a stunning, musically lush, lyrically exquisite pop album. Despite the odd name, Bat for Lashes has genius.
 A Perplexing Adventure September 15, 2007
2 out of 19 found this review helpful
The contents of this album are as baffling as the name of the featured vocalist. Odd drumming and ghostly vocals pervade the tracks which are largely plodding and uninvolving. Sounds like some American Indian drug trip as experienced by an alt engenue. Interesting but skippable.
The Greatest Debut Album since Fiona Apples' "Tidal" September 24, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is right up there with the greatest albums of all time : and my list of those include only about twelve albums, some of which include Tori Amos' "Scarlet's Walk", Rufus Wainwright's "Poses" and Fiona Apple's "Tidal". If you're a fan of those albums, then by all means, this would be a definite 'blind purchase'.
In 2007, I was instantly bewitched by only two releases - Rufus' "Release the Stars" and Tori Amos' "American Doll Posse". Half a year since the release of that Tori album its woefully clear that its already sounding dated (an immense let-down for her) but the Rufus album still sparkles as brilliantly as it did upon first listen. Around the same time I came across young Natasha Khan and her one-woman 'group' Bat for Lashes. Someone who is a huge Kate Bush fan suggested I get it, and boy am I glad I did.
Before you read any further, please note that I am extremely picky when it comes to my favorite albums of all time. Many people have often been bewildered at my musical tastes (which run from Debbie Gibson to Bjork, Incubus to Lifehouse), but there are only a few albums that I count as being "my all time favorites". Prime criteria for this would be if an album sounds better to me upon repeated listen, rather than boring me to death.
With that in mind, I can happily report that "Fur and Gold" sounds better with each listen. Intricate harmonies, sparse melodies and very haunting and memorable choruses abound throughout. This is a very classy affair indeed, bringing to mind the wonderful "Homogenic" by Bjork, and "The Kick Inside" by Kate Bush. In fact, many of the song structures and thematic motifs are reminiscent of Kate Bushs' "The Dreaming" album as well. One thing that separates Bat for Lashes from Tori, Bjork and Kate though, is the fact that her singing ability is very unique, and that she pays more attention to melody. Her messages may not be as relevant or hard-hitting say as Tori Amos, but the production is definitely better than most of Amos' recent output. She also brings to mind the same essence that Bjork sported on her first three albums ("Debut", "Post" and "Homogenic"). If you've been disappointed with the recent Bjork material, do check this album out.
What I liked about this is that despite being very similar to all the artists mentioned above, the artist has a style all her own. She almost defines what 'cool' is all about, the same way Vanessa Paradis does on her new album "Divinidylle". And thats what its all about. If an album can rest on my Ipod with plays of each song at least twice everyday, then thats an indication to me that the artist is one of my favorites, and that the album is stellar.
Anyway you cut it, this is a fine slice of alternative music perfection. Forget Joanna Newsom, Bjork and Devendra Barnhart - Bat for Lashes is the real deal.
Five Stars.
Different and Refreshing November 8, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I love this entire CD. It has a great variety of different emotion and sounds. I heard "What's a Girl To Do" originally and I instantly loved it, so I previewed some of the other songs and bought the album. I didn't have to listen to the album a number of times to like the songs. They are each beautiful and emotional. I especially love "The Wizard" and "The Bat's Mouth", they give me chills everytime single time. Good for people that like Feist, Imogen Heap, or Rilo Kiley.
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