LA / LBC / OC
Long Beach’s Magic Lantern have finally gone and released a new sonic document after what seemed like an eternity of waiting. Eagerly anticipated by those who have been biding their time waiting for the band to get on with their uber limited cassette only and CD-R releases (their Self-Titled CD-R was limited to 30), “High Beams”, the band’s latest opus [...]
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It’s not often that you don’t hear Bjork mentioned in the same breath when someone is trying to describe what Bat For Lashes sounds like, hell Bjork’s name is invoked twice in her bio. And though this is a fair topographical comparison, I think it is one that sells Bat For Lashes, aka Natasha Khan, short.
Khan, a beautiful 27 year old half-Pakistani half-English, singer-songwriter-visual artist has created a stunningly haunting yet beautiful album that plays well no matter what mood you are in. She herself describes Fur And Gold as “Halloween when you’re small, dreaming by the sea, pine trees, UFOs, dark night-time lovemaking,” which as the album progresses becomes a pretty accurate description. Beginning with “Horse and I” and it’s Flight of the Navigator synth, the song, while musically is a bit repetitive, is the perfect showcase for Khan’s vocal range and is probably the track that stretches her the furthest. With a similar soft spoken verse juxtaposed with a dramitcally sung chorus, Khan’s songs roll on, with highlights being “Tahiti”, “What’s A Girl To Do”, “The Wizard”, and “Bats Mouth”. It is not until the album nears it’s end with “Seal Jubilee” and “Sarah” that we find a weakness in Fur And Gold’s chain, as both songs do little to engage the listener. But all is not lost as the closing track, “I Saw The Light” just may be the best and most depressing song released this year.
So where does the Bjork comparision fall short? With Bjork we get songs that are often hard to find ourselves drawing any emotional comparison with our own, but with Khan, she writes songs that may at first seem abstract, but are actually shrouded universal themes.
For those of you who have yet get past her odd outfits, freak folk company, and general all around “buzz”, do yourself a favor and just take a chance on this…there is a reason that Fur And Gold is nominated for this year’s Mercury Prize.
MP3: Bat For Lashes – Horse and I