Two Suns

Two Suns is the second studio album by English recording artist Bat for Lashes, released in the United Kingdom 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), and features collaborations with members of Yeasayer and Scott Walker. Two Suns was recorded in segments in California, New York City, London, Brighton and Wales. 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." Upon its release, Two Suns was met with positive reviews from most critics. Additionally, it was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize in 2009, Khan's second nomination after Fur and Gold in 2007. "Daniel" was released on 1 March 2009 as the album's lead single, reaching number thirty-six on the UK Singles Chart. Both "Sleep Alone" (909s in DarkTimes Mix) and "Siren Song" were featured on the American supernatural drama television series The Vampire Diaries, while only the former was included on the series' soundtrack album.