Two Suns

iTunes Review

Bat for Lashes’ debut, Fur and Gold, catapulted British singer Natasha Khan to indie rock glory. Her brand of airy, fragile trilling and lush, sparkling piano and strings so enraptured critics and fans alike that she wisely stayed the course on Two Suns, this time adding a faint dusting of other musical flavors beyond the Kate Bush/Tori Amos school of Diva Dramaturgy. “Sleep Alone” starts with a lone, thrumming guitar string, the arrangement and Khan’s voice conjuring the classic folk sounds of Fairport Convention, before ghostly drums and rattling percussion carry it off to another world; a gospel choir lifts the dark “Peace of Mind” into a spiritual realm, and tribal poly rhythms drive “Two Planets” into a swirling, global kaleidoscope. There’s even a touch of Brechtian theatrics in “The Big Sleep”, with a cameo by the enigmatic Scott Walker.  “Moon and Moon” and the single, “Daniel”, are heartbreakingly beautiful, both tracks pining for something that has vanished (one a real love, and another that is fictional).  When Khan sings, “I’m one of two planets dancing...”, one doesn’t stop to ponder whether it can be true. One simply goes along for the ride.