From The Archives: "Bat For Lashes - Worth A Listen"

This was written for the arts section of the April 20, 2009 edition of the Brooklyn College Kingsman newspaper.


The highly-anticipated sophomore record from Bat For Lashes, Two Suns, is an acquired taste. At first listen, it may seem a bit quirky - not exactly what you would hear on today’s Top 40 radio, but after a few listens, it definitely grows on you. Natasha Khan’s gorgeous vocals and lyrical imagery keep you hooked on every track and wanting more. This album could be the soundtrack to a Francesca Lia Block novel. It sounds kind of like a passage from Weeztie Bat while listening, and it just fits, words and music; the same imagery is conjured up. Two Suns is a beautiful record from start to finish if you give it a chance.

The album’s opener, “Glass,” builds up from a cappella vocals and ambient sounds to a pulsating, tribal drumbeat; sings of “a thousand crystal towers,” “a hundred emerald cities,” and her “knight in crystal armor.” The drums will stick in your head for days. Khan’s falsetto throughout the chorus adds to the dreaminess of the track, definitely one of the highlights of this record.

“Daniel,” the album’s first single, and “Pearl’s Dream” use synthesizers and drum machines to create a 1980’s New Wave throwback. This is the closest thing to mainstream pop as it gets on this record. “Peace Of Mind” has a group of gospel singers assisting Khan in the lyrical mantra. “Two Planets” also has catchy percussion and handclaps that will get you moving. “Moon and Moon” is a minimalistic track, unlike the rest of the album, with just piano and vocals and the occasional snapping, but doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb.

Another highlight on this record is “Siren Song.” This piano-driven ballad showcases Khan’s beautiful voice singing about being in love and happy with someone until they take her away (“Promise I’ll never get sad/’Till the siren comes calling, calling”). This song also introduces Khan’s album alter ego, Pearl, which is present throughout the whole album (“My name is Pearl and I’ll love you/The best way I know how/My blonde curls slice through your heart”). From this track on forward, you can start to see these songs weaving together to create this concept. “Pearl’s Dream” mentions “a sign that says ‘Good Love Town’” and the subsequent track is named “Good Love” (“Passed it last night in a dream/Good Love/And my heart caught fire”).

“The Big Sleep,” the final track, has vocal arrangements that could make this get away with closing an opera. This is a very poignant ending to the record. The first line in “Glass” is “I will rise now” and the final line of “The Big Sleep” is “Goodbye my dears and into the big sleep I go.” The journey has ended, the album is done and you feel as if you just woke up from a dream that you didn’t want to get up from. One can’t help but think that this was Khan’s intention while writing and recording the album: to take us on a journey with her words and the music. Mission accomplished.

© Allyson Yates, 2009