Bat For Lashes – ‘Fur And Gold’ (She Bear/Echo) Released 11/09/06

Introducing Bat for Lashes: writer/lead vocalist/instrumentalist (beautiful mentalist) Natasha Khan with happy clapping sisters of mercy collaborators Ginger Lee and Abi Fry. Personally invited by Devandra Banhart to perform on his All Tomorrows Parties� stage in May 2006, Bat for Lashes, made themselves known to more of the world. The French, of course, had discovered them already from a mere 7,000 other musical soldiers in a battle to find fresh musical maestros.

Before Natasha broke free she worked as a nursery school teacher telling tales and making puppets. Indeed it was a dream fuelled quest that infused �Horse And I� and graced the album�s general intent. Although Tori Amos is not listed in Natasha�s influences it�s almost impossible to imagine she isn�t inspired by her. Perhaps that is just the mutterings of a simple minded notion surrounding a God (all things mystical) freeing/finding experimental, independent female who plays pianos and produces her own work (see also Kate Bush). �Horse And I� follows Tori�s original �Professional Widow� and trends of album �Boys For Peele� with nuances of medieval music for Kings (��and Queens and courtiers�, see �Trophy�) emphasised by harpsichord. �Trophy� - with Josh T Pearson featuring as Devandra Banhart (!) - certainly has the whinnying pleas of Bjork. If you don�t get addicted to hearing chorus �creatures of me-e-ercy, shoot, shooot. shoot them down, set me free�� with clapping angels in support, you don�t exist.

�What�s A Girl To Do?� is a more playful, modern, dance - that's in a Dirty Dancing style in Ronnettes� �Be My Baby� kind of way � under harpsichord and matter of fact honest talking that�s softer and sweeter than Nico, but still straight to the point: �but it was then I had to say�my bat lightening heart, wants to fly away�. �Prescilla� is a song that gives the impression of being a great cover of an 80's dance track brought up to the 90's with Kate Bush influxes. It�s a wickedly catchy number, and features generous bouts of clapping. Example: �she really loves him Pres-cilla�, then clap clap clap. �Sarah�, in the chill and sigh of Broadcast, is a bit warped. �Sarah, I want to be like you. Sarah, I want to love like you. Sarah�chewing fingernails in her shit eating grin�. It�s finger clicks and bass, the stuff that future Grease movies should insist on.