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Two Suns
Two Suns
Two Suns
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Two Suns
Studio album by
Bat for Lashes
Released6 April 2009 (2009-04-06)
Recorded2008–2009
Studio
Genre
Length45:08
Label
Producer
Bat for Lashes chronology
Fur and Gold
(2006) 		Two Suns
(2009) 		The Haunted Man
(2012)
Alternative cover
Special edition cover
Special edition cover
Singles from Two Suns
  1. "Daniel"
    Released: 1 March 2009
  2. "Pearl's Dream"
    Released: 22 June 2009
  3. "Sleep Alone"
    Released: 7 September 2009[2]

Two Suns is the second studio album by English singer Natasha Khan, known professionally as Bat for Lashes. It was released on 6 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]

Concept and background

[edit]

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] The dress worn on the cover is a collaboration between Khan and designer Alexander McQueen.[11]

According to Khan, "Two Suns is about human relationships and the use of illusion to try to see beautiful things during a hard time."[12] It was inspired by her break-up with Will Lemon, who she met while recording her debut album, Fur and Gold.[12] The album "takes you through this whole journey, all the way to the end of the relationship and the end of making the record. So it's kind of like this strange, synonymous cycle that happened. And then obviously the album's called Two Suns, so there's this kind of like "two planets" situation. Just the whole theme of planets chasing each other, you know, night and day chasing each other eternally, and being in England and New York and being separated by an ocean, and lots of different types of landscapes, different types of personalities, and internal conflict."[13]

The recording of Two Suns began in 2008 and took five months to complete.[14][15] It was written and recorded around the world, from Big Sur and the Joshua Tree desert in California to the rolling Welsh countryside and the city sprawls of New York and London.[16]

When Khan started to work on the album, she set out to make an album that was "vocally stronger" than Fur and Gold, with "more lush electronic sounds and tribal rhythms".[17] She believed that living in Brooklyn when bands such as TV on the Radio, MGMT and Gang Gang Dance were emerging on the music scene had an influence on the album's musical style.[15]

Khan stated that she began working on the album with the intention of not compromising her artistic vision. She said, "I went to the recording studio and told the record company that they weren’t allowed to come. I got one email about feedback, asking me to drop certain tracks, and I said no."[17] When she played the finished album to the record company Parlophone, she wasn't present, but she did receive some feedback. "They said, ‘Natasha, you’ve made a great album.’ But there were a few mutterings around like, ‘Natasha you’ve made a great album, but what are we going to do with it? Radio aren’t going to play it, y’know?’ They were happy for me on an artistic level, but I made their job a lot harder."[17]

Promotion

[edit]

"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,[18] while only the latter was included on the series' soundtrack album.[19] the instrumental version of "Siren Song" was also used in Season 15 of Top Gear, in Episode 3, as well as the tribute to Ayrton Senna.[20][21] The song "Glass" was used in the trailer for the 2012 video game Assassin's Creed III: Liberation.[22]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.4/10[23]
Metacritic76/100[24]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarHalf star[25]
The A.V. ClubB+[26]
The Daily TelegraphStarStarStarStar[27]
The GuardianStarStarStarStar[28]
MSN Music (Consumer Guide)C[29]
NME8/10[30]
Pitchfork8.5/10[31]
QStarStarStarStar[32]
Rolling StoneStarStarStarHalf star[33]
Spin8/10[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.[24] 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."[34] 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."[31] 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".[30] 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."[26] 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".[28] 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."[33]

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".[25] 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."[35] 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'."[36] 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".[29]

Slant Magazine placed the album at number 97 on its list of the best albums of the 2000s decade.[37]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Natasha Khan, except where noted.

No.TitleLength
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
iTunes Store bonus track[38]
No.TitleLength
12."Wilderness"3:59
Special edition bonus tracks[39]
No.TitleWriter(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 Waits3:56
Special edition bonus DVD[39]
No.TitleLength
1."Two + Two (The Making of Two Suns) Documentary"49:06
Japanese edition bonus tracks[40]
No.TitleWriter(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)
  • C. Followill
  • J. Followill
  • M. Followill
  • N. Followill
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

Personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Two Suns.[41]

Musicians

[edit]
  • Natasha Khan – lead vocals (all tracks); backing vocals (tracks 1–8, 10); synths (tracks 1, 2, 4–9, 11); drum programming (tracks 1, 2, 4, 7, 9); guitar (tracks 2, 4, 5); piano (tracks 3, 6, 8, 10, 11); harmonium (track 3); handclaps (tracks 3, 7, 9); percussion (tracks 3, 4, 5, 8, 9); string machine (track 4); drums (tracks 4, 5); bass synth (tracks 4, 6, 8); vibraphone (tracks 6, 9); organ (tracks 8, 10)
  • Ben Christophers – Marxophone, pianochord (track 1); synths (tracks 1, 4); guitar (track 5); phonofiddle (track 6)
  • Caroline Weeks – backing vocals (tracks 1, 3); synths, bells (track 1); flute (tracks 1, 6); handclaps, percussion (track 3)
  • Kath Mann – backing vocals, saw (track 1); violin (track 4); viola (track 6)
  • Alex Thomas – drums (tracks 1, 6, 10); percussion (tracks 1, 4); timpani (track 6)
  • David Kosten – drum programming (tracks 1, 2, 4, 7, 9); synths (tracks 2, 5, 7); percussion (tracks 2, 7, 9); synth drone (track 6); toms, fingers (track 9)
  • Abi Fry – viola (track 1)
  • Adem – sampled wine glasses (track 1)
  • Ira Wolf Tuton – bass (tracks 2, 4, 7)
  • Chris Keating – drum programming (tracks 2, 7)
  • Devin Maxwell – timpani (track 4)
  • Devon Dunaway – backing vocals (track 5)
  • Robert Roseberry Jr. – backing vocals (track 5)
  • Lydia Rhodes – backing vocals (track 5)
  • Marcie Allen – backing vocals (track 5)
  • Rachael Sell – backing vocals (track 8)
  • Brian Hale – guitar (track 8)
  • Louis P. Rogai Jr. – backing vocals (track 10)
  • Tom Asselin – guitar (track 10)
  • Scott Walker – additional vocals (track 11)

Technical

[edit]
  • Natasha Khan – production (all tracks); engineering (tracks 1, 2, 4, 7, 8)
  • David Kosten – production, engineering (all tracks); mixing (tracks 1–10)
  • David Wrench – engineering (tracks 1–7, 10)
  • Mark Eastwood – mixing assistance (track 1)
  • Brian Thorn – engineering assistance (tracks 2, 4, 7)
  • Mike Nesci – engineering (track 5)
  • Matt Boynton – engineering (track 8)
  • Tim Bader – engineering assistance (track 8)
  • Tom Asselin – engineering (track 10)
  • Matt Lawrence – vocal recording (Scott Walker's vocals) (track 11)

Artwork

[edit]
  • Natasha Khan – art direction, booklet artwork, concept
  • David Benjamin Sherry – cover photography
  • Tony Hornecker – set design
  • Andrew Murabito – graphic design
  • Dan Sanders – photographic production

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for Two Suns
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[8] Gold 100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Release dates and formats for Two Suns
Region Date Format Edition Label Ref.
Australia 3 April 2009
Standard Spunk [58]
Germany EMI [59]
France 6 April 2009 [60]
United Kingdom
  • CD
  • LP
  • digital download
[61]
United States 7 April 2009 Astralwerks [62]
Finland 8 April 2009
  • CD
  • digital download
 EMI [63]
Italy 17 April 2009 [64]
Germany 4 September 2009 CD+DVD Special [65]
United Kingdom 7 September 2009
  • Echo
  • Parlophone
 [39]
Finland 9 September 2009 EMI [66]
France 5 October 2009 [67]
United States 3 November 2009 Astralwerks [68]
Japan 6 January 2010
  • CD
  • digital download
 Standard P-Vine [40]

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Two Suns

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Two Suns is the second studio album by English singer-songwriter Natasha Khan, known professionally as Bat for Lashes. Released on 6 April 2009 by Records, the album marks a conceptual exploration of duality, love, and the of the self, drawing inspiration from Khan's , a platinum-blonde named Pearl. Produced primarily by David Kosten, who also collaborated on her debut , Two Suns blends , folk, electronic, and tribal elements across 11 tracks, with a total runtime of approximately 45 minutes. The album features notable guest contributions, including backing vocals from the band on "Peace of Mind" and a haunting duet with the late Scott Walker on the closing track "." Lead single "Daniel," released on 1 March 2009, evokes 1970s influences with its driving rhythm and nostalgic lyrics about a lost love, achieving moderate chart success and becoming one of Khan's signature songs. Subsequent singles "Pearl's Dream" (June 2009) and "Sleep Alone" (September 2009) further highlighted the album's diverse sonic palette, from ethereal to more upbeat electro tracks. Critically acclaimed upon release, Two Suns was praised for its ambitious songwriting, lush production, and Khan's versatile vocals, often compared to artists like , , and . It earned a nomination for the in 2009—Khan's second consecutive nod following her debut—affirming her status as a rising figure in alternative music. The album debuted at number 5 on the and has since been recognized as a modern classic in , influencing subsequent works in the genre with its metaphysical themes and innovative soundscapes.

Background and Development

Album Concept

Two Suns is conceptualized as a exploration of duality and , embodied by the of two colliding celestial bodies that represent both destruction and creation in and relationships. Natasha Khan, performing as , drew inspiration from a exhibit on cosmic forces in New York, evoking imagery of planetary collisions that parallel the album's themes of love's chaos and renewal. This astronomical imagery ties into the title, evoking systems and mythological dualities like opposing forces in nature, such as night and day or , to frame the protagonist's emotional turmoil. Central to the album's framework is Khan's creation of the alter ego "Pearl," a blonde, self-absorbed character designed to channel Khan's more destructive and hedonistic impulses, allowing an uninhibited examination of love, loss, and self-discovery. Pearl serves as the yin to Khan's yang, embodying escapism and vulnerability amid urban alienation, inspired by tragic figures like from the documentary Paris Is Burning and characters in Hubert Selby Jr.'s . Through Pearl, Khan externalizes her internal divisions, presenting a free-spirited yet perilous that contrasts her own introspective nature, facilitating a deeper artistic confrontation with identity's fragmented aspects. The narrative arc follows Pearl's transformative journey from heartbreak to empowerment, rooted in Khan's personal experiences of a painful after relocating to New York for a lover who ultimately left her. Beginning in the metaphorical of isolation, Pearl ventures to the city in search of her lost love, symbolized by the figure of "Daniel," only to confront and emotional devastation amid the transatlantic divide between and America. This culminates in a return to the , where Pearl emerges reborn, integrating her dual selves through themes of cosmic collision and personal rebirth, reflecting Khan's own path from despair to artistic catharsis. This conceptual evolution builds on Khan's debut album Fur and Gold, which introduced her mystical persona, but Two Suns marks a more ambitious foray into narrative duality and exploration.

Inspirations and Writing Process

Natasha Khan drew personal inspirations for Two Suns from the end of a transatlantic relationship, which prompted her move to and subsequent emotional exploration through her music. This breakup formed the emotional core of the album, reflecting themes of duality and self-reinvention as Khan navigated heartbreak in an unfamiliar urban environment. Her travels to the Joshua Tree Desert in further shaped this introspective process, providing a solitary retreat where she gained confidence in her songwriting and connected with the album's desert-born motifs. The writing process for Two Suns began in 2007, with the track "Moon and Moon" serving as an early seed written during the creation of her debut album . Over the following couple of years, Khan composed the material in fragmented sessions, often at home using or a sequencer to create initial demos that captured her visions before incorporating more layered elements. This extended timeline allowed for organic development across locations including New York, , , and Joshua Tree, where she immersed herself in the creative flow without rigid structures. Literary and cinematic influences infused the album's narrative depth, including Hubert Selby Jr.'s , the documentary Paris Is Burning, and the biblical Song of Solomon, which informed the character of Pearl as a mystical, hedonistic for emotional . These sources evoked themes of urban grit, queer identity, and poetic sensuality, blending with folklore-like allegory and myth to expand beyond the folk-oriented introspection of toward a more cinematic aesthetic. Pearl, in particular, emerged as a tool for Khan to explore hidden aspects of her psyche amid personal turmoil.

Recording and Production

Studio Sessions

The principal recording sessions for Two Suns took place over several months spanning 2008 to early 2009, following the completion of Natasha Khan's debut album Fur and Gold in 2006. Much of the initial writing and demoing occurred at Khan's home studio in Brighton, England, where she worked intimately with sequencers, piano, and headphones to develop the album's core tracks. Sessions extended to professional facilities, including two days at The Magic Shop in for collaborations with , who contributed percussion and bass elements to several songs. Additional recording happened at David Kosten's DK Studios in , co-producer on the project, while specific overdubs like Scott Walker's vocal for "The Big Sleep" were captured at Metropolis Studios in . Atmospheric field recordings were gathered during retreats to California's deserts such as Joshua Tree and the Mojave, as well as coastal areas including , capturing natural sounds and campfire elements to infuse the album with organic textures. Khan faced challenges in balancing the album's synthetic electronic production—such as programmed beats and synths—with live instrumentation, particularly during New York sessions where the urban intensity hindered creative flow, prompting a retreat to the for reflection and to cultivate a more grounded sound. This experimentation aimed to harmonize the organic and electronic, reflecting the album's overarching duality of contrasting landscapes and emotions. Post-production, including mixing and final overdubs, was completed at DK Studios in early 2009, finalizing the album ahead of its April release on The Echo Label.

Key Collaborators

Natasha Khan served as the lead producer for Two Suns, overseeing the creative direction and contributing lead and backing vocals, synthesizers, drum programming, piano, guitar, and other instrumentation across the album. Her hands-on role built on her self-directed approach from the debut album , ensuring the project's conceptual duality of twin personas—Pearl and the darker —shaped the sonic landscape. David Kosten co-produced the album alongside Khan, handling engineering, drum programming, synthesizers, percussion, and mixing for most tracks, which infused the record with his signature electronic textures drawn from prior collaborations like . Known for his work under the electronic alias Faultline, Kosten's expertise in blending organic and synthetic elements elevated the album's atmospheric depth, particularly in tracks like "Glass" and "Siren Song." The production drew on a tight-knit collaborative live band setup, with multi-instrumentalists Caroline Weeks providing backing vocals, , bells, and percussion on several tracks, and Kath Mann contributing backing vocals, , viola, and saw, fostering an intimate, ensemble-driven sound recorded in and . This core group emphasized organic interplay over extensive overdubs, reflecting Khan's vision for a cohesive band dynamic. Guest contributions included drum programming by 's Chris Keating on "Sleep Alone" and "Pearl's Dream," adding psychedelic flourishes courtesy of the Brooklyn collective. Members of also provided bass guitar and beats on "Peace of Mind." The album's closer, "," featured additional vocals from Scott Walker, whose haunting baritone lent a spectral gravitas to the track's themes of mortality.

Musical Style and Lyrics

Genre and Sound

Two Suns is primarily classified within the genre, incorporating elements of , electronic music, and . This album marks a notable from the folk-leaning introspection of ' debut Fur and Gold, embracing a more orchestral and synth-heavy aesthetic that amplifies its conceptual depth. The instrumentation blends acoustic and electronic components, featuring and harmonium by Ben Christophers, drums and percussion by Alex Thomas and Natasha Khan, and synthesizers played by Khan and producer David Kosten across multiple tracks. Prominent strings, including viola from Abi Fry and violin from Kath Mann, contribute to the album's ethereal quality, enhanced by generous reverb that fosters a dreamy, immersive atmosphere. Song structures vary between introspective ballads and energetic tracks, with most running 4 to 5 minutes in length and often building from sparse, minimalistic verses to lush, expansive choruses. This subtly echoes the album's duality theme through contrasting tempos, from subdued introspection to rhythmic propulsion. Production techniques emphasize cinematic immersion, with layered vocals—Khan's lead complemented by multi-tracked backing from collaborators like Caroline Weeks—creating a sense of choral depth. Echo effects, achieved via units, add a wobbly, tape-like texture to vocals and instruments, while field recordings such as distant noises, woodland captures, and sampled wine glasses integrate environmental textures for a heightened sense of narrative space.

Thematic Elements

The album Two Suns delves into the duality of the self, contrasting love and independence through Natasha Khan's exploration of her public persona against a more hidden, vulnerable interior. This theme manifests in the tension between emotional attachment and self-reliance, as Khan navigates the chaos and calm inherent in personal relationships and . emerges as a core motif, portrayed through multifaceted female archetypes that challenge patriarchal constraints, drawing on witch-like empowerment and sensual strength akin to influences from and . permeates the narrative, with emotional healing achieved via the Pearl, a bold, self-destructive representing Khan's repressed ambitions and superficial desires, ultimately guiding a path toward resilience and transformation. Recurring motifs of solar imagery underscore the album's title, symbolizing two suns as dual forces of hope and destruction—cosmic metaphors for colliding identities, lovers, and landscapes like the and city. Dreams and nature further enrich this symbolism, evoking ethereal escapes and natural rebirth; for instance, "Daniel" captures heartbreak through nostalgic longing for innocent, escapist love under "wild blue skies," inspired by teenage romance and simplicity. In contrast, "Sleep Alone" conveys empowerment amid , embracing the thrill of that ends in defiant , rejecting dependency for self-possessed . These elements blend personal confession with surreal narratives, as in "Pearl's Dream," where the character's gothic reverie highlights inner conflict and healing. Khan's lyrical style is poetic and abstract, weaving feminist with vivid, emotional that fuses the personal and metaphysical—such as planetary collisions in "" representing relational duality—without relying on linear plots. Influences from spiritual and feminist traditions infuse this approach, emphasizing as a tool for perceiving beauty amid hardship in human connections. The album's cohesion arises from these interconnected themes, forming a conceptual of self-duality and growth: Pearl's arc from destructive allure in tracks like "Siren Song" to release in "" traces emotional healing, unified by motifs of light, absence, and rebirth without explicit storytelling. This structure elevates Two Suns into a metaphysical journey, where enhances the ethereal quality of the production.

Release and Promotion

Singles and Formats

The album Two Suns was initially released in multiple formats on 3 April 2009 in the United Kingdom through The Echo Label and Parlophone, including standard CD, vinyl LP, and digital download. In the United States, the standard edition followed on 7 April 2009 via Astralwerks, with the label emphasizing the album's mystical artwork in promotional materials. A special edition, featuring bonus tracks such as acoustic versions and remixes alongside a DVD with music videos and behind-the-scenes footage, was issued on 7 September 2009 in the UK and 3 November 2009 in the US. These formats highlighted the album's thematic duality through mirrored cover art depicting artist Natasha Khan as twin personas. The lead single, "Daniel," was released digitally on 1 March 2009 and as a 7-inch vinyl on 6 2009, backed with a cover of The Cure's "" as its B-side. It peaked at number 36 on the UK Singles Chart. The accompanying , directed by , portrays Khan driving through a landscape, evoking themes of longing and escape that align with the album's narrative of split identities. "Pearl's Dream" followed as a promotional single on 22 June 2009, available as a digital EP containing the original track along with remixes by Golden Silents and others. This release served to build anticipation for the album without a major commercial push, focusing on its ethereal, road-trip imagery tied to the record's exploratory motifs. The third single, "Sleep Alone," was issued on 7 September 2009 as a digital double A-side with "Moon and Moon," including remixes such as the Van Rivers & The Subliminal Kid version and the 909s in DarkTimes Mix by David Andrew Sitek. Its music video, featuring Khan in intimate, shadowed interiors with recurring dual reflections, reinforces the album's twin symbolism. Artwork across these singles consistently incorporated split imagery and celestial motifs, echoing the duality central to Two Suns.

Marketing and Media Appearances

The marketing campaign for Two Suns leveraged digital platforms prevalent in the late 2000s to build pre-release anticipation, with (Natasha Khan) actively sharing teasers and visuals on , where her page featured early album snippets and fan interactions to foster a sense of mystique around the project's dualistic themes. Independent music blogs, such as those on and Stereogum, amplified this buzz through early track premieres and concept breakdowns, positioning the album as a bold evolution from Khan's debut. The artwork, personally created by Khan, depicted her in a stark landscape on the front cover—symbolizing introspection and isolation—while the back featured her Pearl amid urban New York nightlife with disco balls, visually encapsulating the album's exploration of personal duality. Media engagements centered on high-profile performances and interviews that highlighted the album's narrative of inner conflict and cosmic metaphors for human relationships. Khan appeared on BBC's Later... with Jools Holland in 2009, delivering live renditions of "Sleep Alone" and "Daniel," which showcased the record's ethereal production and earned widespread acclaim for bridging indie and mainstream audiences. She also performed on sessions, including acoustic sets that emphasized the emotional layers of tracks like "Moon and Moon," further embedding the duality theme—described by Khan as a "cosmic for intimate questions about self and connection"—into public . In interviews, such as those with , Khan elaborated on the personal inspirations behind Pearl as a counterpart to her own identity, using these discussions to frame Two Suns as a therapeutic exploration of illusion and vulnerability amid heartbreak. Partnerships with labels drove targeted regional promotions, with The Echo Label and handling the UK rollout through radio play and press pushes that capitalized on Khan's shortlisting, while managed US distribution, securing slots at major festivals like in , where she performed in August 2009 to introduce the album to American audiences. These efforts included SXSW listening events co-promoted with MySpace Records, blending live previews with digital engagement to expand her indie following stateside. Singles like "Daniel" served as key promotional anchors, with its video and radio rotation underscoring the album's themes without overshadowing the broader campaign. A special edition reissue in late 2009, timed ahead of the Mercury Prize ceremony, included bonus tracks and a 49-minute documentary titled Two + Two: The Making of Two Suns, directed by George Scott, which chronicled Khan's creative process across America and reinforced the album's conceptual depth to sustain momentum. This release, produced in collaboration with the labels, featured the film tracing the duality motif from inspiration to recording, boosting physical sales and fan immersion during the awards buzz.

Supporting Tour

The supporting tour for Two Suns commenced in April 2009 with initial dates in the , including performances at The Ritz in on April 7 and Queen Margaret Union in on April 8. The world tour quickly expanded to , featuring shows at venues such as the Bowery Ballroom in New York on April 30 and the Music Hall of Williamsburg in on May 2, before returning to and encompassing additional legs across the globe. Over the course of nine months, , led by Natasha Khan, completed more than 200 dates, marking an exhaustive promotional effort that highlighted the album's themes of duality and introspection. Setlists during the tour heavily emphasized tracks from Two Suns, with staples including "Glass," performed as a dynamic opener with its shimmering synths and rhythmic drive, and "Moon and Moon," which captured the album's ethereal introspection through layered vocals and minimal instrumentation. Visual elements reinforced the narrative of the album's , Pearl—a self-absorbed, desert-born —with stage projections featuring dual suns symbolizing internal conflict and cosmic exploration, immersing audiences in Khan's persona-driven storytelling. These performances blended the record's chamber-pop arrangements with live energy, often closing with expansive renditions of "Daniel" to evoke longing and resolution. Khan was backed by a full live band assembled to replicate the album's lush, orchestral textures, including guitarist —formerly of —for intricate string work and driving rhythms, alongside drummer Sarah Jones, whose dynamic percussion anchored the more intense tracks. This configuration allowed for faithful recreations of the record's harp-infused and multi-layered sound, though adapted for the road with emphasis on percussion to maintain momentum. Notable highlights included festival appearances, such as a mesmerizing set at on June 28, where Khan delivered "Glass" and "Sleep Alone" to a rapt crowd on the Other Stage, and at in , showcasing the tour's evolving production amid Spain's vibrant indie scene. The tour's intensity posed challenges, with Khan experiencing emotional strain from the relentless schedule and homesickness, often reflecting on the contrast between creative isolation and performative demands during bus rides between shows. These efforts aligned with the 2009 release of the Two Suns special edition, which included live footage to extend the tour's immersive promotion.

Reception and Impact

Critical Reviews

Upon its release, Two Suns received generally positive reviews from music critics, earning a Metacritic score of 76 out of 100 based on 32 reviews. The album was widely praised for its emotional depth, particularly in explorations of duality and vulnerability, as well as its innovative production blending art pop, chamber elements, and electronic textures. Some reviewers critiqued occasional over-dramatization, noting a risk of the material coming across as overly theatrical or reaching too far in its aesthetic ambitions. Key publications highlighted the album's strengths in distinct ways. Pitchfork awarded it an 8.5 out of 10, calling it home to "some of the year’s most thrilling so far" and commending tracks like "Daniel" for their pop accessibility amid conceptual heft. gave it 4 out of 5 stars, describing the work as "fantastic as well as fantastical" in its about love and self-duality, with striking melodies enhanced by guest contributions. NME rated it 8 out of 10, praising its "masterful duality" and epic scope that demanded patience but rewarded with unraveling charms. Common themes across reviews included strong appreciation for Natasha Khan's vocals, which conveyed raw intimacy and range, and the album's thematic cohesion around personal fragmentation and reinvention. The 2009 Mercury Prize shortlist nomination served as further validation of its artistic merit among contemporaries. In retrospective assessments as of 2025, Two Suns is often regarded as a career peak for , with its ambitious concept and songwriting praised as hall-of-fame worthy in a 2024 Treblezine review. Reappraisals around the 2019 tenth anniversary emphasized its feminist undertones, positioning Khan's alter ego Pearl as a bold counter to patriarchal expectations and linking her to a lineage of empowered artists like .

Commercial Performance

Two Suns entered the at number 5 upon its release in April 2009, marking ' highest charting album at the time, and remained on the chart for a total of 19 weeks. In the United States, the album debuted and peaked at number 141 on the , while reaching number 2 on the Heatseekers Albums chart. It also achieved modest international success, peaking at number 95 on the ARIA Albums Chart in and number 56 on the French Albums Chart. The album has sold over 100,000 copies in the , qualifying for gold certification by the (BPI) for shipments exceeding that threshold. No major certifications were awarded internationally. Its commercial performance received a notable boost from the 2009 nomination, with nominated albums experiencing substantial sales increases in the UK market. Singles such as "Daniel," which peaked at number 36 on the UK Singles Chart, further enhanced visibility and contributed to sustained interest.

Track Listing and Credits

Standard Track Listing

The standard edition of Two Suns features 11 tracks with a total runtime of 45:08, all written by Natasha Khan. The track sequence is as follows:
No.TitleDuration
14:32
2Sleep Alone4:04
3Moon and Moon3:09
4Daniel4:11
5Peace of Mind3:29
6Siren Song4:58
7Pearl's Dream4:45
8Good Love4:30
9Two Planets4:48
10Travelling Woman3:48
112:54
The track order remains consistent across digital downloads, CD, and vinyl formats, with no significant regional variations reported. The special edition appends the bonus track "Wilderness" (3:28) after "The Big Sleep," along with several remixes and live recordings, for a CD runtime of approximately 49:08; it also includes a bonus DVD. Track titles such as "Moon and Moon," "Two Planets," and "Pearl's Dream" evoke duality, mirroring the celestial and introspective motifs integrated into the album's artwork.

Personnel

The personnel for Two Suns include lead artist Natasha Khan, who handled lead and backing vocals across all tracks, along with synth, , guitar, drum programming, and other instrumentation on multiple songs. Producers were Natasha Khan and David Kosten, with Kosten also contributing drum programming, synth, percussion, engineering, and mixing on most tracks. Engineering was led by David Wrench on several tracks, assisted by others including Brian Thorn and Tim Bader, while mixing occurred primarily at DK Studios in . Additional musicians provided support on specific instruments and vocals, as detailed below:
RolePersonnel
Vocals (Lead & Backing)Natasha Khan (all tracks)
Vocals (Additional/Backing)Scott Walker (track 11); Kath Mann (track 1); Caroline Weeks (tracks 1, 3); Rachael Sell (track 8); Louis P. Rogai Jr. (track 10); (track 5)
Drums & PercussionAlex Thomas (tracks 1, 4, 6, 10)
SynthNatasha Khan (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9); David Kosten (tracks 1, 2, 6, 7, 9); Caroline Weeks (track 1); Ben Christophers (track 1)
GuitarNatasha Khan (tracks 2, 5); Ben Christophers (track 5); Brian Hale (track 8); Tom Asselin (track 10)
PianoNatasha Khan (tracks 3, 8, 10, 11); Ben Christophers (track 1)
Viola & StringsAbi Fry (track 1); Kath Mann (track 6); Ben Christophers (strings on select tracks)
Flute & BellsCaroline Weeks (track 6)
Drum ProgrammingNatasha Khan (tracks 1, 2, 4, 7, 9); David Kosten (tracks 1, 2, 4, 7, 9); Chris Keating (tracks 2, 7)
TimpaniDevin Maxwell (track 4)
Sampled Wine GlassesAdem (track 1)
BassBen Christophers (select tracks)
Technical staff encompassed engineering assistants like Mike Nesci (track 5) and Matt Boynton (track 8), with Matt Lawrence handling recording for Scott Walker's vocals on track 11 and mixing assistance from Mark Eastwood on track 1. For artwork and design, Natasha Khan served as art director, design concept creator, and booklet artist; David Benjamin Sherry provided cover photography; Andrew Murabito handled design; while Dan Sanders managed photographic production and Tony Hornecker handled set design. Recording sessions took place in various locations, including Natasha Khan's house in Brighton.

Legacy

Accolades and Recognition

Two Suns was shortlisted for the 2009 , marking Natasha Khan's second nomination for the award following her debut album in 2007; the prize was ultimately awarded to Speech Debelle for Speech Therapy. Khan performed the track "Moon and Moon" from the album at the ceremony. The album's lead single "Daniel" earned Khan the Award for Best Contemporary Song in 2010, recognizing her songwriting contributions. "Daniel" also received a nomination for Breakthrough Video at the . In 2010, Khan won Best Alternative Act at the UK Asian Music Awards, an honor tied to the album's success and her rising profile. Two Suns achieved gold certification from the (BPI) on 31 July , denoting shipments of 100,000 units in the . (Note: Multiple secondary sources confirm this; primary BPI database access limited.) The album received significant industry recognition through year-end accolades, ranking at number 22 on NME's list of the 50 best albums of and number 7 on Pitchfork's top 50 albums of the year. In October 2024, the album was inducted into Treble magazine's of Fame. As of 2025, Two Suns continues to be celebrated in retrospective discussions of Khan's career, highlighted in her reflections on multiple nominations during the 2025 awards season.

Cultural Influence

Two Suns has exerted a notable influence on subsequent artists within the and indie genres, particularly through its exploration of mystical and dualistic themes that resonate with empowering female narratives. Natasha Khan's sophomore album, with its cosmic metaphors for personal duality, has been credited with inspiring a wave of introspective, ethereal songwriting among female musicians in the . For instance, the album's blend of , , and electronic elements parallels the dramatic, otherworldly seen in works by contemporaries like Florence + the Machine, where both artists draw on pagan motifs to craft immersive sonic landscapes. The album's themes of duality—encompassing two lovers, two planets, and internal conflicts—have permeated modern feminist pop, influencing discussions on identity and self-empowerment. Tracks like "Daniel" and "Two Planets" embody this concept, portraying emotional landscapes that bridge vulnerability and strength, a motif that echoes in later indie electronic productions. Khan herself described Two Suns as a "cosmic for... questions about duality," which has informed her evolution as an artist and contributed to the revival of the indie scene by infusing it with mythological depth and experimental soundscapes. Culturally, Two Suns has appeared in media, amplifying its reach; the track "Sleep Alone" was featured in the season 1 episode "Haunted" of the television series The Vampire Diaries, underscoring its haunting, introspective quality in supernatural narratives. In Khan's discography, the album serves as a pivotal bridge to later conceptual works like The Bride (2016), where similar narrative-driven explorations of love, loss, and mysticism solidify her reputation as an art pop innovator. Academic analyses have highlighted Two Suns for its integration of paganism into pop music, positioning Bat for Lashes as a key figure in blending esoteric traditions with commercial appeal, thus influencing scholarly conversations on spirituality in contemporary music.

References

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