Bat for Lashes albums
	2007                                                              Fur and Gold - 7/8      This is the kind of record that combines influences into something completely new. The first record by Bat for Lashes combines the atmosphere of Mercury Rev, the gloom of Portishead, and pure emotion into something unique and different. It takes a while to sink in, but songs like "Horse and I", "Tahiti" and "Seal Jubilee" demonstrate this perfectly. Alternate instrumentation is another strong point of the band: the hand clapps of "Prescilla", the a capella on parts of "Horse and I", maracas on "The Wizard", piano circles of "The Bat's Mouth", and the reverb of "Sarah" . At times singer Natasha Khan can sound like a mix of Cat Power, Tori Amos, Kim Gordon, and Bjork, but she can actually sing better than any of them; it's more emotional than sensationalist. The band is very tricky and good at keeping your attention in very artsy ways, the faux "Be My Baby" intro of "What's a Girl to Do" and the noise rock crescendo of "I Saw the Light" are some examples. It is a tad inconsistent album throughout, but if the band can capitalize on unique songs like "Sad Eyes" and "Prescilla", we are really in for something special. Songs like this are hardly even rock music, middle eastern and jazz touches abound, and they are just fun to listen to regardless of genre. To top all of this off, the band closes the record with a cover of Springteen's "I'm on Fire" that catches what that song is really about (emotion) even though the approach is very different. The band understands how to make good, calm, emotional music, and this should serve them well into the future. - Trevor e.y. 1.horse and i- 4 2.trophy- 3 3.tahiti- 4 4.what's a girl to do- 2 5.sad eyes- 4 6.the wizard- 3 7.prescilla- 4 8.the bat's mouth- 4 9.seal jubilee- 4 10.sarah- 2 11.i saw the light- 3 12.i'm on fire- 4