Two Suns | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 3 April 2009 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | Art rock [1] | |||
Length | 45:08 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | ||||
Bat for Lashes chronology | ||||
| ||||
Alternative cover | ||||
Singles from Two Suns | ||||
|
Two Suns is the second studio album by English singer Natasha Khan,known professionally as Bat for Lashes. It was released on 3 April 2009 by The Echo Label and Parlophone. The album was produced by Khan herself and David Kosten (who also worked on her debut album Fur and Gold ), [3] [4] and features collaborations with members of Yeasayer and Scott Walker. [5] Two Suns was recorded in segments in California,New York City,London,Brighton and Wales. [3]
Upon its release,Two Suns was met with positive reviews from most critics. Additionally,it was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize in 2009, [6] Khan's second nomination after Fur and Gold in 2007. [7] On 31 July 2009,Two Suns was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI),for shipments of 100,000 copies in the United Kingdom. [8] It debuted at number two on Billboard 's Heatseekers Albums chart and has sold 56,000 copies in United States,according to Nielsen SoundScan. [9] As of June 2012,the album had sold 250,000 copies worldwide. [10]
According to the accompanying press release,Two Suns is "a record of modern-day fables exploring dualities on a number of levels—two lovers,two planets,two sides of a personality",bringing reflection about "the philosophy of the self and duality,examining the need for both chaos and balance,for both love and pain,in addition to touching on metaphysical ideas concerning the connections between all existence." In Two Suns,Khan also presents an alter ego named Pearl,described by the press release as "a destructive,self-absorbed,blonde,femme fatale of a persona who acts as a direct foil to Khan's more mystical,desert-born spiritual self." [3]
"Daniel" was released on 1 March 2009 as the album's lead single,reaching number 36 on the UK singles chart. Both "Siren Song" and the 909s in DarkTimes mix of "Sleep Alone" were featured in the first season of the American television series The Vampire Diaries , [11] while only the latter was included on the series' soundtrack album. [12] The song "Glass" was used in the trailer for the 2012 video game Assassin's Creed III:Liberation . [13]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.4/10 [14] |
Metacritic | 76/100 [15] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [16] |
The A.V. Club | B+ [17] |
The Daily Telegraph | [18] |
The Guardian | [19] |
MSN Music (Consumer Guide) | C [20] |
NME | 8/10 [21] |
Pitchfork | 8.5/10 [22] |
Q | [23] |
Rolling Stone | [24] |
Spin | 8/10 [1] |
Two Suns received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic,which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications,the album received an average score of 76,based on 32 reviews. [15] Kevin Liedel of Slant Magazine called it "dark,but never needlessly so",and wrote that it "offers a rich,distinct world of subterranean lullabies,spacey timbres,and ghostly beauty." [25] Mark Pytlik of Pitchfork called it a "significant step forward from her debut" and "home to some of the year's most thrilling music so far." [22] Tim Chester of NME described Two Suns as "a brilliant pop album",commenting that it is "epic in scope and ambition and requires a similarly epic patience to unravel its charms". [21] Barry Walters of Spin wrote that "this art-rock Joan of Arc gushes duality motifs that thwart narrative but overflow with moonstruck sensuality." [1] The A.V. Club 's Sean O'Neal commented that "Khan's sublime voice easily distracts from any lyrical ponderousness,and it lends even lines about 'diamonds burning through rainbows' a dreamy sort of sense." [17] The Guardian 's Dorian Lynskey called it "fantastic as well as fantastical",noting that "[w]hereas her debut relied on charisma and imagination to paper over the songwriting cracks,[Two Suns] is agleam with striking melodies". [19] Melissa Maerz of Rolling Stone felt that "[s]omehow,the music melts away the potential for hokeyness ... Khan proves she's a powerhouse under her billowy sleeves." [24]
AllMusic's Heather Phares complimented Khan's "considerable skills at telling a story and setting a mood",but critiqued that "the album's massive concepts and sounds require a little more time and patience to unravel to get to the songs' hearts. It's clear that Khan's talent and ambition are both huge". [16] PopMatters ' Erin Lyndal Martin felt that Khan "can do much better than some of the songs,which are weakened by synths,sophomoric lyrics,and sonic clutter." Martin continued,"While the weaker songs are definitely not throwaways,they miss the mark in more than one way." [26] Andy Gill of The Independent found its "patina and keyboard tones" "blander" than Fur and Gold's music and said that it is difficult to "take Khan's stories seriously when she slips into blather about 'a stranger in a strange land' and 'a vast and unknowable universe'." [27] Robert Christgau of MSN Music found her "as ill-informed about astronomy as she is about love" and the musical experimentation "unworthy of your brainlength". [20]
Slant Magazine placed the album at number 97 on its list of the best albums of the 2000s decade. [28]
All tracks are written by Natasha Khan, except where noted
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Glass" | 4:32 |
2. | "Sleep Alone" | 4:04 |
3. | "Moon and Moon" | 3:09 |
4. | "Daniel" | 4:11 |
5. | "Peace of Mind" | 3:29 |
6. | "Siren Song" | 4:58 |
7. | "Pearl's Dream" | 4:45 |
8. | "Good Love" | 4:30 |
9. | "Two Planets" | 4:48 |
10. | "Travelling Woman" | 3:48 |
11. | "The Big Sleep" | 2:54 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
12. | "Wilderness" | 3:59 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
12. | "Wilderness" | 3:59 | |
13. | "Sleep Alone" (909s in DarkTimes Mix) | 4:32 | |
14. | "Daniel" (Lo Fi) | 4:01 | |
15. | "A Forest" | 3:16 | |
16. | "Use Somebody" (Lo Fi) | 2:29 | |
17. | "Good Love" (live – Shepherd's Bush Empire, 19 April 2009) | 5:20 | |
18. | "Daniel" (live – Radiohead Tour, Nîmes, 14 June 2008) | 4:22 | |
19. | "Lonely" (live – Koko, 29 October 2007) | Tom Waits | 3:56 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Two + Two (The Making of Two Suns) Documentary" | 49:06 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
12. | "Wilderness" | 3:59 | |
13. | "Sleep Alone" (909s in DarkTimes Mix) | 4:32 | |
14. | "Pearl's Dream" (Gang Gang Dance Remix) | 8:15 | |
15. | "Daniel" (Lo Fi) | 4:01 | |
16. | "Use Somebody" (Lo Fi) |
| 2:29 |
17. | "Good Love" (live – Shepherd's Bush Empire, 19 April 2009) | 5:20 | |
18. | "Daniel" (live – Radiohead Tour, Nîmes, 14 June 2008) | 4:22 |
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Two Suns. [32]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [8] | Gold | 100,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format | Edition | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australia | 3 April 2009 | Standard | Spunk | [49] | |
Germany | EMI | [50] | |||
France | 6 April 2009 | [51] | |||
United Kingdom |
| [52] | |||
United States | 7 April 2009 | Astralwerks | [53] | ||
Finland | 8 April 2009 |
| EMI | [54] | |
Italy | 17 April 2009 | [55] | |||
Germany | 4 September 2009 | CD+DVD | Special | [56] | |
United Kingdom | 7 September 2009 |
| [30] | ||
Finland | 9 September 2009 | EMI | [57] | ||
France | 5 October 2009 | [58] | |||
United States | 3 November 2009 | Astralwerks | [59] | ||
Japan | 6 January 2010 |
| Standard | P-Vine | [31] |
Journeyman is the eleventh solo studio album by Eric Clapton. Heralded as a return to form for Clapton, who had struggled with alcohol addiction and recently found sobriety, the album has a 1980s electronic sound, but it also includes blues songs like "Before You Accuse Me", "Running on Faith", and "Hard Times." "Bad Love" was released as a single, reaching the No. 1 position on the Album Rock Chart in the United States, and being awarded a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance in 1990. "Pretending" had also reached the No. 1 position on the Album Rock Chart the previous year, remaining at the top for five weeks.
Kasabian is the debut studio album by British rock band Kasabian, released on 6 September 2004. The album's highest chart position on the UK Albums Chart was number 4, making it the band's only studio album not to reach number one. Five singles were released from Kasabian.
Too Low for Zero is the seventeenth studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1983. The album marked a comeback for John, whose previous four albums had failed to yield many enduring international hit singles, and had disappointing sales compared to his string of hit records released during the first half of the 1970s.
Ice on Fire is the nineteenth studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1985. It was recorded at Sol Studios and his first album since Blue Moves produced by his original long-time producer, Gus Dudgeon. David Paton and Charlie Morgan appear for the first time on bass and drums respectively, replacing original band members Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson. Fred Mandel, who had played with John during the Breaking Hearts tour, also contributed guitar and keyboards.
Coming Around Again is the 13th studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Arista Records, on April 13, 1987.
On How Life Is is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Macy Gray. It was released on July 1, 1999, by Epic Records and Clean Slate. Produced by Andrew Slater, it became Gray's best-selling album to date, selling 3.4 million copies in the United States and seven million copies worldwide.
The One Thing is the ninth album by Michael Bolton, released on November 16, 1993. Although it produced the hit single "Said I Loved You... But I Lied", which reached number 6 in the US, it did not match the sales of his previous three albums. Nevertheless, the album was still a respectable hit on its own, reaching number 3 on the Billboard 200 and being certified triple platinum in the US. It was also certified Platinum in the United Kingdom.
Natasha Khan, known professionally as Bat for Lashes, is an English singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. She has released six studio albums: Fur and Gold (2006), Two Suns (2009), The Haunted Man (2012), The Bride (2016), Lost Girls (2019), and The Dream of Delphi (2024). She has received three Mercury Prize nominations. Khan is also the vocalist for Sexwitch, a collaboration with the rock band Toy and producer Dan Carey.
Vagabond Heart is the sixteenth studio album by British recording artist Rod Stewart, released on 25 March 1991 by Warner Bros. Records. The album reached No. 10 in the US, and reached No. 2 in the UK. The album features five singles, among them a cover of Robbie Robertson's song "Broken Arrow" and Van Morrison's song "Have I Told You Lately", which would become a hit two years later, and is Stewart's most recent top five solo hit in the US and the UK. The two biggest hits from the album were "Rhythm of My Heart" and "The Motown Song". The latter song features with Steve Lukather, David Paich, Steve Porcaro and Jeff Porcaro—nearly all of the band Toto.
Fur and Gold is the debut studio album by English singer Bat for Lashes. It was released on 11 September 2006 by The Echo Label. It was met with critical acclaim and received a nomination for the 2007 Mercury Prize. In 2007, the album was re-released through Parlophone. Fur and Gold spawned the singles "The Wizard", "Trophy", "Prescilla", and "What's a Girl to Do?". In 2008, "What's a Girl to Do?" was re-released as a 12-inch vinyl with a remix featuring Scroobius Pip and Plaid. As of April 2009, Fur and Gold had sold 27,000 copies in United States.
Aretha is the thirty-first studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, originally released on October 27, 1986, by Arista Records. It is the third album with the Aretha title to be released by Franklin, following her 1961 album and 1980 album.
Yes is the tenth studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 18 March 2009 by Parlophone. The album was recorded throughout 2008 and was produced by Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania. Xenomania also co-wrote three of the tracks. Guitarist Johnny Marr and string arranger Owen Pallett appear as well. "Love Etc." was released on 16 March 2009 as the album's lead single.
Battle for the Sun is the sixth studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo. It was recorded in Canada in 2008 and released on 8 June 2009 by record label PIAS. It is their first album with new drummer Steve Forrest, following the departure of Steve Hewitt in 2007.
"Daniel" is a song by English recording artist Bat for Lashes, from her second studio album, Two Suns. It is her best-selling single to date, selling over 46,000 copies worldwide. The song was announced as the lead single from Two Suns in January 2009, then released as a digital download single on 1 March 2009, and as a 7" vinyl single on 6 April 2009. The track was written by Natasha Khan and produced by David Kosten, as with all tracks on the album. Ira Wolf Tuton from Yeasayer provided the bass lines for the song and Khan did the rest of the instrumentation herself.
Bat for Lashes, an English indie pop singer, has released five studio albums, three extended plays, twelve singles and ten music videos.
When the Sun Goes Down is the third and final studio album by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene, released on June 21, 2011, by Hollywood Records. The band worked with several artists on this album, including writers and producers from their debut, Kiss & Tell (2009), and their second album, A Year Without Rain (2010), such as Rock Mafia's Tim James and Antonina Armato, as well as Katy Perry, Devrim "DK" Karaoglu, and Toby Gad. New contributors to this album included Britney Spears, Priscilla Renea, Emanuel Kiriakou, Dreamlab and Sandy Vee.
The Haunted Man is the third studio album by English singer and songwriter Natasha Khan, known professionally as Bat for Lashes. It was released on 12 October 2012 by Parlophone. The album was preceded by the lead single "Laura", which was released on 24 July 2012.
Postcards from Paradise is the eighteenth studio album by Ringo Starr. It was released on 31 March 2015.
Delirium is the third studio album by English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding, released on 6 November 2015 by Polydor Records. Music critics were generally impressed by the overall production of the record, although they were ambivalent in regards to its originality. It debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200, earning Goulding her highest-charting record in the latter country and her highest first-week sales figures in both territories. The album spawned three singles: "On My Mind", "Army" and "Something in the Way You Move".
The Bride is the fourth studio album by English singer-songwriter Natasha Khan, professionally known as Bat for Lashes. It was released on 1 July 2016 by Parlophone. The album was produced by Khan, with co-production from Ben Christophers, Simone Felice, David Baron, Dan Carey, Jacknife Lee and Matt "Aqualung" Hales. The Bride was preceded by the digital promotional single "I Do", followed by the singles "In God's House", "Sunday Love", "Joe's Dream", and the double A-side release of "If I Knew" and "In Your Bed".