cocteau twins

Record #1008: Cocteau Twins & Harold Budd – The Moon & The Melodies (1986)

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald

As long as I’ve been a fan, Victorialand has been my favorite Cocteau Twins record. It’s an odd moment in their discography to be sure: it was the only record created solely by founders Elizabeth Fraser and Robin Guthrie, and it is devoid of any sort of percussion. Instead of their ubiquitous drum machines, they lean more fully into atmospheric washes and endless stretches of echo. My only complaint with it is that it’s only thirty-three minutes long, and that I need more of that version of the band.

There’s some good news there. Because even though Victorialand is the only outright ambient entry in their main catalogue, it does have a fine companion. Later that year, the members of Cocteau Twins—credited by name on the jacket—joined with minimalist composer Harold Budd to create The Moon & The Melodies. And while the name “Cocteau Twins” never actually appears anywhere on the packaging, it’s still very much in the Twins’ wheelhouse.

Continue reading →

Record #951: Cocteau Twins – The Pink Opaque (1986)

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald

If I may allow another exception to my general dislike of compilations…

The last week or two, I’ve been in a strange loop, ping-ponging between Cocteau Twins, the Cure, and Siouxsie & the Banshees (who I’m a new fan of) with a newfound appreciation for the tangled web that led from post-punk and goth to dream pop and shoegaze.

Cocteau Twins are probably the biggest lynchpin in that chain. From their earliest incarnation as gloomy goths, they embraced the romantic filigree of the genre and brought it out of the shadows.  While much of this transmutation can be traced through their full lengths, the (several!) EPs and singles released between albums offer important context to the steps along the way.

The Pink Opaque, released following the popularity of “Pearly-Dewdrops’ Drops” on American college radio, was compiled to give their new American audience a taste of their career up until that point. Decades beyond that purpose, the disc serves as a beautiful chronicle of their metamorphosis.

Continue reading →

Record #950: Cocteau Twins – Head Over Heels (1983)

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald

There’s never been another band quite like Cocteau Twins. Not before, not since. Still, for all of their idiosyncrasies and obscurity, they cast a long shadow. Their influence can be heard in bands like Sigur Ros, My Bloody Valentine, Deftones, Smashing Pumpkins, and the legions of acts that those bands influenced.

But Cocteau Twins didn’t become Cocteau Twins™ out of the gate. The ethereal dream pop giants cut their teeth in the post punk and goth scene of the early ’80s before becoming untethered in the clouds (Elizabeth Fraser notably has a Siouxsie and the Banshees tattoo on one arm). And while their debut Garlands received plenty of praise in the post punk scene, Head Over Heels is where they start to pupate into something entirely unique.

Continue reading →