2009 Album Reviews: BAT FOR LASHES - TWO SUNS

I’m trying very hard to like ‘Two Suns, ok it’s not as dire as this but it doesn’t grab me like ‘Fur and Gold’ did. I have been trying to work out what bothers me about this album for days and I think I finally came to the conclusion that both albums sound too much alike. That’s not to say that they sound the same in every way but there are similarities in terms of all being dark pop songs with interesting bass lines and beats behind them. I think this is especially the case for ‘Moon And Moon’ from Two Suns and ‘Sad Eyes’ off Fur and Gold which are both exceptionally beautiful songs but sound like they belong together on an album. They also both mix different styles within the one record and have put an enormous effort into drums and percussion.

Moving on to the songs itself, the greatest part of the album is the first half of the album. ‘Glass’ opens the album with a stunning vocal part at the start that flows into an unexpected rhythm with the tom toms being used to full advantage throughout. ‘Daniel’, for me is the pinnacle of ‘Two Suns’ and I believe it is the first single, so kudos to her and the record company for that choice. I find it to be gem of a pop song that turns out to be an unexpected, yet wonderful love song. The album has a lot of Asian influences in it which is not surprising considering her background and the use of intricate drum parts that give the album the sound it has. I see ‘Sleep Alone’ as one of those songs as I want to tap my foot in time with it whenever I hear it. ‘Moon And Moon’ is a beautiful piano ballad with great overdubbing of her voice to get that electronic voice in the background. The next track I find to be worthwhile of mention is ‘Siren Song’ which has certain epic qualities about it particularly as it builds from a ballad to something completely different. This is much like ‘Glass’ as it threw me initially but I grew to really love it! ‘Pearl’s Dream’ is a very dance and synth-based song that is not completely unique in a pop song but is something special for this album. ‘Two Planets’ mixes a whole lot of sounds and inspirations that make it into an exotic, and almost world music song which then goes into ‘Travelling Woman’ with its folky feel. Although, ‘Travelling Woman’ is a song that would not seem out of place on a number of other female singer/songwriters albums it somehow feels new when she does it. The record closes with ‘The Big Sleep’ which does in fact help make me go to sleep...weird, how that works.

The whole album is a strong release but I think I expected something more. I did enjoy most of it but as I said earlier she is continuing to write dark and melancholy songs which definitely makes for interesting sounds but isn’t looking into the future. Aside from this, I find her so interesting and therefore will continue to support her and would love to see her live show. I will end by saying Bat For Lashes has an exceptional understanding of the space within a song and knows how to draw you into her world so it is definitely worth checking out.

music=love