Bat For Lashes Embarks on a Mystical Journey
Two Suns is the most magical album of 2009 thus far
Bat For Lashes
Two Suns
Released on Apr 07, 2009
Look at any picture of Natasha Khan, who operates under the moniker Bat For Lashes, and you’ll immediately be treated to one of the most stylish ladies in music right now. The only thing more fanciful than her stage make-up and feather headpieces is her ethereal music. Her first album, Fur and Gold, gave listeners a taste of the range of this chanteuse — in addition to a badass video for “What’s a Girl To Do.” With Two Suns, we are unapologetically plunged into an enchanted forest of sorts. If you’re up for the adventure, this album will not disappoint.
The fact that Khan is able to weave musical narratives about emerald cities and crystal towers without sounding like she’s singing to five-year-olds who love unicorns is a testament to her amazing talent. This album marks the first appearance of “Pearl,” Khan’s alter ego, whom she describes in a Two Suns press release as a “destructive, self-absorbed, blond femme fatale.” With the inclusion of Pearl, her songs are elevated to “fable” status, and because of her stunningly clear and powerful voice, listeners can’t help but be captivated by the dream world she’s creating. The vocal range that she displays is enviable as she jumps octaves without any change in the quality of her voice — it’s disarming and completely captivating.
On “Glass,” the opening track, the first 30 or so seconds is just her voice, which slowly grows in intensity. To match that, an indigenous-sounding drum beat joins her. From that point on, the song keeps building until she hits those stellar high notes. If this song ever makes it to the music video stage, here’s hoping that it takes place in a glittering, lush forest — perhaps it’s because of her reference to a “knight in crystal armor,” but “Glass” could easily be the soundtrack to Merlin’s life.
“Daniel” is the current single, and while it’s another great example of her masterful storytelling and aptitude with instrumentation, “Siren Song” is the real highlight of this album. While it takes a small step away from the mysticism that runs throughout Two Suns, she can even make the act of cooking breakfast for a lover seem transformative. Given the title, listeners discover that the siren is none other than Pearl, whose “got so much wickedness and sin.” All that wickedness and sin seems to be jammed into the final seconds of frantic percussion that perfectly illustrates her tempestuous personality. Pearl may be a bad girl, but they’re always more captivating, aren’t they?
It’s difficult to find anything to dislike about this album — even if you’re not into the magical imagery, Khan’s ability to evoke these scenes is worthy of respect. She’s certainly not the first to achieve this — the comparisons to Tori Amos, Bjork, Kate Bush, and PJ Harvey are endless. However, she has a distinctly modern approach that is bound to please discriminating listeners.
High Point
While Khan’s voice is arguably the most beautiful aspect of Bat For Lashes, the instrumentation needs some recognition. Whether it’s the organic sound of the drums, or the straightforward piano on “Travelling Woman,” she knows how to paint an aural picture with instruments other than her own voice.
Low Point
If you can’t appreciate far-fetched creativity and mystical landscapes, Two Suns is not the album for you.
Posted by Alyssa Vincent on Apr 23, 2009 @ 6:00 am