albums and tracks

Natasha Khan doesn't make ordinary music. She has no interest in simplistic notions of fun and pop. No, hers is a sphere of passion, of emotion-soaked lyrics, histrionics and beguiling sounds, all twisted into lush, spellbinding songs that feed both head and heart.

The formula worked so well on her debut, Fur And Gold, that she was hailed as a musical genius, the heir to Björk and Tori Amos and possibly even some kind of goddess.

Two and a half years on, Two Suns - the "difficult" second album - arrives to show that while she's undoubtedly talented, the crowning of Khan's glorious conquering of all things leftfield and kooky was a little premature.

Two Suns, you see, is often as mundane as it is majestic, when Natasha gets too wrapped up in her influences and forgets to keep true to herself - or even to "Pearl", the alter ego she's invented for this album-long rumination on duality.

'Siren Song', for example, would fit so snugly onto Amos's Little Earthquakes that it's difficult to hear Bat For Lashes in the mix at all. The same problem arises in a handful of other tunes, not least on lead single, 'Daniel', which isn't far off being a straight cover of Kate Bush's 'Cloudbusting'.

Yet, there are saving graces. 'Good Love''s spine-shivering, breathless drama, the taut and jagged rhythms of 'Sleep Alone', and 'The Big Sleep''s closing epic sorrow - bolstered by a star turn from Scott Walker - all show Khan is abundant in talent when she wants to be.

Two Suns, then, is neither a victory nor a defeat. It underlines the beauty of Natasha Khan's voice and her gift for melodrama, but it also shows she's still a step away from the shining brilliance of some of her contemporaries.

Chris Long