I saw you breathing

The question of consistency in sound is not one that can be aimed at Bat For Lashes.

If anything, this record is almost too consistent.

For ‘Two Suns’ is unmistakeably the work of Bat For Lashes. Dream-like vocals, check. Swirling ethereal folk-prog soundscapes, check. Everything in it’s place. Just as they were before. At least, that’s what a lazy distracted first listen might suggest. Because let’s be clear, anyone expecting a dramatic shift in sound or tone will be disappointed.

Thankfully, they’ll be the only ones disappointed. For while this record is recognisably the work of Natasha Khan, that is by no means a bad thing. Far from it. It simply means that ‘Two Suns’ picks up where ‘Fur And Gold’ left off. Lead single ‘Daniel’ being the perfect bridge between the two. On first listen, a song that could easily have slotted into the first record. A dramatic, otherworldly pop song that’s deceptively complicated. Yet closer inspection highlights the evolution Khan has made as an artist.

It feels like a natural progression. A comfortable step forward and one which avoids the pitfalls that can ruin the follow up to a successful debut. There’s no knee jerk reaction to be different. No desperation to please the fans or cash in on it’s predecessors success. It doesn’t follow trends nor dumb itself down. Rather it is an intelligent, ambitious record, one which finds Bat For Lashes honing their sound, then building up with greater ambition. Each listen revealing new, richer layers. Intricately woven together. Waiting for the listener to unravel them. Tribal drums, haunting pianos, choirs of voices and delicate instrumentation play off one another adding a greater emotional depth. Making for a record that is grander and lusher than it’s predecessor, yet still as intimate. The kind of record in which you’ll hear something new with every listen. In other words, the kind of record that is highly recommended.

This version of ‘Daniel’ however is a little different to the one you’ll find on the album. The beats are different. It’s slightly slower and there’s a whole barrage of different instruments making themselves heard. Infact the only things carried over from the studio version are the melody and Natasha’s vocals. The rest is made up of an organ, some kind of harpsichord sounding instrument, a beat with handclaps and some light percussion. And rather marvellous it is too. The other track is a cover of a song I’ve never heard before. So I can’t say how it compares to the original by This Mortal Coil. What I can say is that this version is a sad lament. A simple piano refrain repeated over while a mournful organ adds dramatic shading behind Natasha’s voice.

Bat For Lashes - daniel (live session version) original version available on 'Two Suns'

Bat For Lashes - kangaroo (This Mortal Coil live session version)

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