Khan’s sophomore album demands
continued attention
With guest spots from Scott Walker and
Yeasayer, Bat For Lashes’ sophomore effort lands with simple poise.
While Two Suns largely discards Fur and Gold’s more baroque
elements in favor of ethereal synthesizer work, BFL continues to
benefit from a deeper sense of history, and Natasha Khan’s ties to
the English folk tradition are palpable. If you stumbled on it out
of context, you might mistake “Sleep Alone” for a subtle remix of
some unreleased Sandy Denny gem. However, there’s a creeping pop
sensibility here—“Daniel” sounds like a breathier take on
Stevie Nicks’ most elegant compositions, and “Pearls Dream”
brings a Kate Bush drama to the dancefloor. An easy (if slightly
front-loaded) listen that Khan performs effortlessly.
Listen to Bat For Lashes on MySpace.