There are two basic archetypes of female singer/songwriters. The first type is the mainstream girl next door, like Colbie Caillat and Sarah Barellies. They sing bouncy pop songs about love, and cute ballads about heartbreak. They talk about their emotions, because it feels good to get them out. The second category is slightly darker and more ambient. They pour out their emotions, but also set a mood.
Natasha Khan’s alter-ego Bat for Lashes falls under the second category. Two Suns is all about the mood. There are occasional moments of levity, but Khan is mostly baring her soul. The title refers to the two parts of Khan’s personality. The first is always searching for deeper meanings, while the second is a shallow blonde sexpot named Pearl. It sounds imaginative on paper, but like most concepts, it’s overly complicated and convoluted.
Pretentious concept aside, Two Suns is a great album. The production is slightly more polished than her debut, Fur and Gold. Slick production usually hampers a singer/songwriter record, but it works well. The clean production accentuates Khan’s incredible voice. She hits some otherworldly notes on this album, especially on the opener, “Glass.” The music is often spare, just a few keyboards and drums. However, it’s not exactly lo-fi. Instead of sparse percussion, the drums are big and cavernous. They set the tone for every track. The keyboards are less prominent, weaving in and out of Khan’s lyrics. The music is not the focus on Two Suns, it’s all about Khan’s voice and the story she is trying to tell.
Khan’s voice is an incredible instrument. It stands out because she knows when to use it. She knows when to be subtle and when to bring out the big guns. This is not a Mariah Carey record. When she hits the high notes, they mean something. Her lyrics are a mixed bag. Khan takes lyrical ideas from unlikely places. The first verse of “Glass,” is taken from “The Song of Solomon,” transported to New York City. Most artists use the most obvious Biblical references possible, but Khan is subtle.
“Daniel” doesn’t fare as well. It’s the poppiest song on the record, and the lyrics seem slightly watered down for mainstream consumption. It sounds like it’s about an early boyfriend, which would make sense because they sound like the diary entries of a 14-year old. Even if it’s written from a teenage girl’s point of view, “You took me to the darkest place you knew, and set fire to my heart” sounds ridiculous. Sorry.
Khan’s alter-ego Pearl is the biggest problem with the record. Pearl is the evil sexpot, that’s great. Unfortunately the songs written in Pearl’s point of view sound similar to Natasha’s point of view. When did it become a law that every single female artist had to have two identities on a record? When David Bowie played Ziggy Stardust, he was Ziggy the entire time. That is why the concept works, commitment.
Two Suns has a few hiccups, but there is a lot to like. Natasha Khan is a great singer and she does have some really interesting ideas. Unfortunately she’s a bit too ambitious for her own good. The best solution would be to record an entire album as Pearl, it would eliminate a lot of confusion. Because she tried to have the best of both worlds, Two Suns feels jumbled.