This is the third album from the two sisters and they’re beginning to sound a little less like a soundtrack to a fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm but then who else records songs about werewolves? They still use random sounds with an abandon that makes Lee Scratch Perry seem conservative and the usual creakings, yelps, and drippings are present in abundance but there’s even a touch of rap, notably on Promise.
They return to their previous Grimm ways with Bloody Twins, with a wind in the background and a spooky music box. Japan is pretty straightforward, apart from the howls and the fact that it turns to near opera at one stage. Oh, yes, and the fact that it’s sung in a Shirley Temple-like voice and refers to being taken home and raped by queens in drag.
Why should you buy anything as apparently deliberately strange as this? Well, because you won’t be getting the same old, same old, or even the worse than same old. You’ll be getting something fiercely original and intense that broadens the meaning of music. You might not like it, but that’s another matter entirely.
9.7.07
Bat For Lashes - Fur And Gold - B000HC2OLE
Well, I dont know many albums that start with a harpsichord melody that sounds so simple that it may as well have come out of one of my childhood keyboards, but still retains a certain baroqueness about it. But here we are! Bat For Lashes is essentially Nataschka Khan's band, a gifted singer/songwriter who mixes a Bjork-like individuality with unusual instrumentation and graceful songwriting. The album relies mostly on piano/keyboard/violin melodies and Khan's direct yet soft vocals.
Listening to it, there doesnt seem to be a definitive song for this band, as each of the 11 tracks on offer here sound unique. That doesnt mean they're all winners; all of the songs can be praised for individuality but some for being unmemorable. This, in turn, makes haunting piano-led ballad 'Sad Eyes' stand out, aswell as opener 'Horse And I' with its impressive vocal melodies. Album highlight would be 'The Bat's Mouth', which slowly builds to a beautiful melodic pinnacle of optimism and ends with a lovely quiet ending, touching violin lines and all.
Unusual, varied, slightly moody but not depressing, individualistic and slightly poppy would be the best way to describe it. Whilst 'Fur And Gold' isnt a classic its got plenty of memorable moments on it, and it bodes well for Khan's career if she's making songs this good on her debut.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)