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Bat For Lashes - Two Suns
| Drownedinsound |
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While a rightfully feted debut, Bat For Lashes’ Fur And Gold album of 2006 seemed to overachieve too quickly for its intimate design to be properly processed. A Mercury nomination and a couple of BRIT nods look good on the CV, but to pin such accolades upon the sleeve of Natasha Khan is to weigh down the singer with expectations beyond her control for the anticipated successor. Khan’s songwriting is not the kind that broad audiences can take immediately to – in this respect it’s fortunate that Klaxons pipped her to the Mercury post in 2007, or else the splendour of Fur And Gold would certainly have been irrevocably blighted by over-playing and cooption by all manner of inappropriate mediums. As it stands, the debut remains something of a word-of-mouth sensation: yes, its profile was raised considerably by televised ceremonies, but ultimately it’s the impression it leaves upon the open listener that lasts, and leads to recommending between friends....full text |
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| Musicomh |
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Right. First things first. Before we can even start on the music, we need to deal with the elephant in the room. Bat For Lashes, aka Natasha Khan, has created (another) alter ego for her second album Two Suns, the follow-up to the Mercury-nominated Fur And Gold. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Pearl, a destructive blonde femme fatale who represents Natasha Khan's extreme nature. If all this sounds a little familiar that's because a) it's been done to death already and b) it's been done by Beyonce a few months ago in the shape of the laughable Sasha Fierce, an alter-ego Beyonce used to excuse her more libidinous ways. Such unnecessarily convoluted claptrap is the kind of thing that makes some people involuntarily roll their eyes (your reviewer included) at the mere mention of Bat For Lashes' name. The album's press release reads like promotion material for Mystic Meg's debut album rather than a record by a clearly very talented and unique voice - unique not because she creates kooky little stage decorations for her gigs or wears a cape when the feeling takes her, but because her songs are often brilliantly constructed, overflowing with sumptuous melodies. They're the kind of songs that can stand repeated listens based on their quality, not on gimmicks or posturing....full text |
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| Prettymuchamazing |
| Bat For Lashes, aka Natasha Khan, returns on April 6th with her sophomore album, Two Suns, a record of such incredible depth and beauty that it has taken me the best part of a month (just ask Luis if you don’t believe me) to work this out; it’s going to delight and disappoint fans of Fur & Gold in equal measure. Sorry for the anti climax! On the plus side, fans of Natasha’s Mercury Prize Nominated Fur & Gold will feel spoilt for choice with the heartrendingly nihilistic vignettes they’ve come to expect from her. Unfortunately, if fans were expecting a lean towards a more accessible album and for Natasha to get the credit she deserves as an incredible songwriter in album sales, they’ll be bitterly disappointed. Of course, this fact is hard to get upset about juxtaposed next to Natasha proclaiming that “Crying took me to the darkest place/And you have set fire to my heart”. OK, OK; seems like she might have bigger fish to fry than whether vacuous 14 year old girls are going to be bopping around to her songs at their rubbish parties. Her heart’s on fire, for god’s sake! And from the general mood of the album, I get the sense that it’s not in a Cut Copy-ish “Yeah, my heart’s on fire, dude!!!” type of way…...full text |
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