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Natasha Khan's debut album as Bat for Lashes, Fur and Gold, was so vivid and fully realized that it was a tough act to follow: she found ways to make her wildest flights of fancy into music with the immediacy of pop and the intimacy of a singer/songwriter's confessions. It takes a lot of ambition to pull off that kind of alchemy, and that ambition defines Two Suns. Khan's sounds and visions are even more widescreen here, full of pristine electronics and heady concepts, and Scott Walker, the undisputed king of high-concept music, duets with her on the ultra-theatrical finale "The Big Sleep." Since Bat for Lashes' songs practically burst with characters and ideas, a concept album seems like a logical next step for Khan's music, but the magic her songs had previously feels dissipated this time around. Two Suns revolves around Khan's "desert-born spiritual self" and her "destructive, self-absorbed, blonde femme fatale" alter ego Pearl as it covers "the philosophy of the self and duality, examining the need for both chaos and balance, for both love and pain, in addition to touching on metaphysical ideas concerning the connections between all existence." That's a lot to pack into just 11 songs, and it's not always entirely clear just what they're about, despite motifs like "blue dreams" that run through them. Some songs are just plain overdone: "Traveling Woman" and "Peace of Mind," with its tribal rhythms and gospel choir, aim for majesty but end up dragging. Others use the album's posh polish to make an impact, like "Glass" -- on which Khan hits some amazing high notes -- and "Daniel," which nods to the poppier side of her music. The directness that made Fur and Gold's modern-day fairy tales so enchanting and moving is often missing, and nothing on Two Suns is as musically or emotionally immediate as "What's a Girl to Do?" or "Sad Eyes." However, the subtler spells Khan casts with hypnotic tracks like "Sleep Alone" and "Moon and Moon" eventually reveal their beauty. And as Two Suns unfolds, it gradually shifts from overt attempts to dazzle listeners to focusing on Bat for Lashes' greatest strengths: Khan's voice and her considerable skills at telling a story and setting a mood. Pearl may be the album's dark side, but she's responsible for some of its best songs. "Siren Song" sets her seductive false promises to dramatic pianos, while "Pearl"'s Dream," with its battles and kingdoms, is classic Bat for Lashes. "Good Love" reaffirms Khan's way with bruised ballads, and "Two Planets"' pummeling beats and swirling voices make the mystical power the rest of the album reached for crystal-clear. Ultimately, Two Suns is nearly as graceful and poetic as Bat for Lashes' best work; it's just that the album's massive concepts and sounds require a little more time and patience to unravel to get to the songs' hearts. It's clear that Khan's talent and ambition are both huge, and for her to slightly overreach is better than not aiming as high as she can.
© Heather Phares /TiVo
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Natasha Khan, Composer, Producer, Engineer, Programmer, Vocals, Drum Programmer, Synthesizer - David Kosten, Producer, Mixer, Engineer, Programmer, Drum Programmer - Tony Cousins, Masterer, MasteringEngineer - David Wrench, Engineer - Kath Mann, Vocals, Saw - Ben Christophers, Piano, Synthesizer, Pianochord Keyboards - Bat For Lashes, MainArtist - Alex Thomas, Drums, Percussion - Caroline Weeks, Bells, Flute, Vocals, Synthesizer, Bells Percussion - Adem Ilhan, Samples - Adem, Samples - Mark Eastwood, Mixer - Abi Fri, Viola
© 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo ℗ 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo
Natasha Khan, Composer, Producer, Engineer, Guitar, Programmer, Vocals, Drum Programmer, Synthesizer, Guitarra - David Kosten, Producer, Mixer, Engineer, Percussion, Programmer, Drum Programmer, Synthesizer - David Wrench, Engineer - Chris Keating, Programmer, Drum Programmer - Ira Wolf Tuton, Bass - Brian Thorn, Engineer - Bat For Lashes, MainArtist
© 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo ℗ 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo
Natasha Khan, Composer, Producer, Percussion, Piano, Vocals, Harmonium, Hand Clap - David Kosten, Producer, Mixer, Engineer - David Wrench, Engineer - Bat For Lashes, MainArtist - Caroline Weeks, Percussion, Vocals, Hand Clap
© 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo ℗ 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo
Natasha Khan, Composer, Producer, Drums, Engineer, Guitar, Percussion, Programmer, Vocals, Synth Bass, Synthesizer, Guitarra - David Kosten, Producer, Mixer, Engineer, Programmer, Drum Programmer - David Wrench, Engineer - Ira Wolf Tuton, Bass - Brian Thorn, Engineer - Kath Mann, Violin - Ben Christophers, Synthesizer - Bat For Lashes, MainArtist - Alex Thomas, Percussion - Devin Maxwell, Timpani
© 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo ℗ 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo
Natasha Khan, Composer, Producer, Drums, Guitar, Percussion, Vocals, Guitarra - David Kosten, Producer, Mixer, Engineer, Synthesizer - David Wrench, Engineer - Ben Christophers, Guitar, Guitarra - Bat For Lashes, MainArtist - Mike Nesci, Engineer - Lydia Rhodes, Vocals - Devon Dunaway, Vocals - Marcie Allen, Vocals - Robert Roseberry Jr, Vocals
© 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo ℗ 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo
Natasha Khan, Composer, Producer, Piano, Vibraphone, Vocals, Synth Bass, Synthesizer - David Kosten, Producer, Mixer, Engineer, Synthesizer - David Wrench, Engineer - Kath Mann, Viola - Ben Christophers, Fiddle, Musician, Phonofiddle Strings - Bat For Lashes, MainArtist - Alex Thomas, Drums, Timpani - Caroline Weeks, Flute
© 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo ℗ 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo
Natasha Khan, Composer, Producer, Engineer, Programmer, Vocals, Drum Programmer, Synthesizer, Claps - David Kosten, Producer, Mixer, Engineer, Percussion, Programmer, Drum Programmer, Synthesizer - David Wrench, Engineer - Chris Keating, Programmer, Drum Programmer - Ira Wolf Tuton, Bass - Brian Thorn, Engineer - Bat For Lashes, MainArtist
© 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo ℗ 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo
Natasha Khan, Composer, Producer, Engineer, Organ, Percussion, Piano, Vocals, Synth Bass, Synthesizer - David Kosten, Producer, Mixer, Engineer - Bat For Lashes, MainArtist - Matt Boynton, Engineer - Tim Bader, Engineer - Rachael Sell, Backing Vocals - Brian Hale, Guitar, Guitarra - Rachael Sel, Vocals
© 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo ℗ 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo
Natasha Khan, Composer, Producer, Engineer, Percussion, Programmer, Vibraphone, Vocals, Drum Programmer, Synthesizer, Claps - David Kosten, Producer, Mixer, Drums, Engineer, Percussion, Programmer - Bat For Lashes, MainArtist
© 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo ℗ 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo
Natasha Khan, Composer, Producer, Organ, Piano, Vocals - David Kosten, Producer, Mixer, Engineer - David Wrench, Engineer - Bat For Lashes, MainArtist - Alex Thomas, Drums - Tom Asselin, Engineer, Guitar, Guitarra - Louis P. Rogai Jr, Vocals
© 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo ℗ 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo
Natasha Khan, Composer, Producer, Piano, Vocals, Synthesizer - David Kosten, Producer, Mixer, Engineer, Synthesizer - Matt Lawrence, Engineer - Bat For Lashes, MainArtist - Scott Walker, Vocals, Additional Vocals Producer
© 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo ℗ 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo
Natasha Khan, Composer, Producer, Drums, Guitar, Vocals - David Kosten, Producer, Mixer, Engineer - Julia Thornton, Harp - Bat For Lashes, MainArtist - Abi Fry, Viola - Dave Dix, Engineer, Vocals
© 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo ℗ 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo
Album review
Natasha Khan's debut album as Bat for Lashes, Fur and Gold, was so vivid and fully realized that it was a tough act to follow: she found ways to make her wildest flights of fancy into music with the immediacy of pop and the intimacy of a singer/songwriter's confessions. It takes a lot of ambition to pull off that kind of alchemy, and that ambition defines Two Suns. Khan's sounds and visions are even more widescreen here, full of pristine electronics and heady concepts, and Scott Walker, the undisputed king of high-concept music, duets with her on the ultra-theatrical finale "The Big Sleep." Since Bat for Lashes' songs practically burst with characters and ideas, a concept album seems like a logical next step for Khan's music, but the magic her songs had previously feels dissipated this time around. Two Suns revolves around Khan's "desert-born spiritual self" and her "destructive, self-absorbed, blonde femme fatale" alter ego Pearl as it covers "the philosophy of the self and duality, examining the need for both chaos and balance, for both love and pain, in addition to touching on metaphysical ideas concerning the connections between all existence." That's a lot to pack into just 11 songs, and it's not always entirely clear just what they're about, despite motifs like "blue dreams" that run through them. Some songs are just plain overdone: "Traveling Woman" and "Peace of Mind," with its tribal rhythms and gospel choir, aim for majesty but end up dragging. Others use the album's posh polish to make an impact, like "Glass" -- on which Khan hits some amazing high notes -- and "Daniel," which nods to the poppier side of her music. The directness that made Fur and Gold's modern-day fairy tales so enchanting and moving is often missing, and nothing on Two Suns is as musically or emotionally immediate as "What's a Girl to Do?" or "Sad Eyes." However, the subtler spells Khan casts with hypnotic tracks like "Sleep Alone" and "Moon and Moon" eventually reveal their beauty. And as Two Suns unfolds, it gradually shifts from overt attempts to dazzle listeners to focusing on Bat for Lashes' greatest strengths: Khan's voice and her considerable skills at telling a story and setting a mood. Pearl may be the album's dark side, but she's responsible for some of its best songs. "Siren Song" sets her seductive false promises to dramatic pianos, while "Pearl"'s Dream," with its battles and kingdoms, is classic Bat for Lashes. "Good Love" reaffirms Khan's way with bruised ballads, and "Two Planets"' pummeling beats and swirling voices make the mystical power the rest of the album reached for crystal-clear. Ultimately, Two Suns is nearly as graceful and poetic as Bat for Lashes' best work; it's just that the album's massive concepts and sounds require a little more time and patience to unravel to get to the songs' hearts. It's clear that Khan's talent and ambition are both huge, and for her to slightly overreach is better than not aiming as high as she can.
© Heather Phares /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 12 track(s)
- Total length: 00:48:59
- Main artists: Bat For Lashes
- Composer: Natasha Khan
- Label: Echo
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo ℗ 2009 The Echo Label Limited, a BMG Company trading as Echo
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