Additional information
Composer: Natasha Khan. Personnel: Natasha Khan (vocals, guitar, piano, harmonium, organ, synthesizer, bass synthesizer, vibraphone, drums, hand claps, percussion, drum programming, background vocals); Scott Walker (vocals); Ben Christophers (guitar, fiddle, synthesizer); Brian Hale, Tom Asselin (guitar); Abi Fry (viola); Caroline Weeks (flute, synthesizer, hand claps, percussion, bells, background vocals); David Kosten (synthesizer, tom tom, percussion, drum programming); Alex Thomas (drums, timpani, percussion); Chris Keating (drum programming); Robert Roseberry Jr., Louis P. Rogai Jr., Devon Dunaway, Marcie Allen, Lydia Rhodes (background vocals). Audio Mixer: David Kosten. Recording information: Bryn Derwen Studios, Wales; DK Studio, London, England; Magic Shop Studios, New York, NY; Megan's house, New York, NY; metropolis Studios, London, England; Natasha's house, Brighton; OneForest, Mountainhome, PA; STratosphere Sound, New York, NY; Vacation Island Studios, New York, NY. After Bat For Lashes' 2006 debut, FUR AND GOLD, comparisons abound to the likes of CocoRosie and Bjork, but with all due respect to these groundbreaking women, Natasha Khan (aka Bat) is in a league of ethereal transcendence all her own. TWO SUNS may very well position her as the second coming of Kate Bush, with a touch of This Mortal Coil's gothic bliss, Portishead's deep, mournful passion, and even OMD's lushly paranoid electronics peeking in as influences. Whether swirling in a mass of gentle dream-pop on opener "Glass" or allowing her vocals to stand as naked as vintage Laura Nyro in front of ambient piano on "Moon And Moon," Khan has put forth a remarkable sophomore effort, and signifies that she is a songwriter who will be talked about for generations to come.
Reviews
Rolling Stone (p.66) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "Pounding on pianos, cranking out delicate little click-clack beats and shivering through choruses with an ultraromantic soprano, Khan proves she's a powerhouse..." Spin (p.76) - "Conjuring ancient tribal vibes from ominous synths and galloping tom-toms, this art-rock Joan of Arc gushes duality motifs that thwart narrative but overflow with moonstruck sensuality." Spin (p.33) - Ranked #6 in Spin's "40 Best Albums Of 2009" -- "Consider her a slow-burn siren for our overheated times." Mojo (Publisher) (p.106) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "'Daniel,' the album's early single, is a seductive, motorik love song, purring of bassline, drowsy of melody and swooning of lyric, it's pure Stevie Nicks circa RUMOURS." Blender (Magazine) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "'Sleep Alone' is a folky dirge about the fear of solitude. 'Daniel,' a shimmering, unfussy new-wave track..." Pitchfork (Website) - "A significant step forward from her debut, TWO SUNS is home to some of the year's most thrilling music so far." Record Collector (magazine) (p.88) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[I]t's a concept album about the dual self....'Siren Song' illustrates the concept perfectly, with its two distinct halves, and 'The Big Sleep,' a vaudevillian 'Some Velvet Morning' for the 00s, finds Scott Walker on call-and-response vocals." Clash (Magazine) (p.109) - "Like Kate Bush, Natasha Khan creates uncompromising, heartbreaking music in a singular, eerie landscape, and it's just a joy that she lets us in."
