'BLUE BELL KNOLL" COCTEAU TWINS (1988)

Since the day I first heard “Carolyn’s Fingers”, my mind was blown. Is Elizabeth Fraser part angel, part human? Her vocals are proprietary. Not only do they help establish Cocteau Twins as dream pop pioneers, they ensure that no other practitioners of the craft will ever be able to come remotely close. Most of the time, Frasier barely uses actual words, allowing her vocal expressions to simply float above the music, or cut through it, or both.

What’s striking about “Blue Bell Knoll” is its dark contrast compared to the euphoric space Cocteau Twins would soon fully embrace—unleashed on the next album, Heaven or Las Vegas. Meanwhile, this is my kind of music. This title track still carries a strong nocturnal, post-punk pulse, making it a song I’ll always gravitate to. The rhythm is more insistent. The guitars shimmer, churn and wail. Frasier’s vocals are as unsettling as ever. But let’s get to the bass.

Simon Raymonde’s bass work is a huge part of the atmosphere on this one. Melodic and elevated, they instantly remind me of Peter Hook’s high-octave bass lines with Joy Division and New Order. The bass lines don’t just hold the songs together, they carve out space for Fraser’s voice to explore and push the music forward. “Blue Bell Knoll” marries post-punk austerity with dream-pop richness. It’s dark, yet luminous. Deeply visceral, yet somehow just beyond reach.

“TO YEARN ADMITS YOU’RE OUTSIDE TO ME.”

"HEAVEN OR LAS VEGAS" COCTEAU TWINS (1990)

A great title track is par for the course when it comes to great albums. If the title track doesn’t cut it, what does that say about the album itself? This month, the Mental Jukebox will be playing some of my favorite title tracks – inspired by @NicolaB_73’s music Twitter challenge, #TopTitleTracks.

It’s a shame more people don’t know the remarkable beauty and ingenuity of Cocteau Twins. The Heaven or Las Vegas album may have been their most well-known effort, but it still soars blissfully under the radar after all these years. The band helped create the soundscaped genre of dream pop much like how My Bloody Valentine helped shape the shoegaze equivalent. The title track, in particular, is one of my favorite Cocteau tracks to get lost in.

“Heaven or Las Vegas” emanates and enlightens. It could’ve made the darkest recesses of the earth sound euphoric. Elizabeth Fraser, once again, sounded more angelic than human. The swirling synths are practically hypnotizing, while the guitar holds you in a steady trance with these gorgeous cascading arpeggios and soaring riffs. Clocking in at nearly five minutes, “Heaven or Las Vegas” has become a shining example, not just of dream pop, but of any soundscape genre.

“I want to love. I've all the wrong glory.”

"LORELEI" COCTEAU TWINS (1984)

For the month of October, I’m taking the #OctAtoZBandChallenge challenge. The premise is simple. Pick a band starting with the day’s assigned alphabet letter and then choose a song from that band.

Day 3

The world of Cocteau Twins is one of mesmerizing euphoria. A world where Elizabeth Fraser’s vocals soar like stardust, while Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymonde create these dreamy soundscapes for you to get lost in. These musical expressions would later become some of the early inspiration for shoegaze bands in the decade to follow. Cocteau Twins were way ahead of their time. And yet, their music is still fresh even today. The resilience of albums like Treasure, Blue Bell Knoll and Heaven or Las Vegas cannot be contested. Just listen to “Lorelei” and you’ll know why.

Cocteau Twins have always been more about the mood than the message. Often times, Fraser’s vocals are nearly indecipherable. I couldn’t tell you what “Lorelei” is about – or really what any other Cocteau Twins song is about, for that matter. But I can tell you what it feels like. Imagine being taken up in a cloud and brought into a kingdom of clouds where the sun shines like gold and angels float by you in slow-motion. A band is playing without a stage – just a musical trio in sync and fully buoyant in the bright, bright atmosphere. In other words, “Lorelei” feels a bit like heaven.

“We’re covered by the sacred fire. When you come to me, you come to broke.”

"LORELEI" COCTEAU TWINS (1984)

It’s time to get back to my favorite decade. For the month of March, I’ll be looking back at some of my favorite jams from the 80s. These songs often came to me via MTV or the radio. NYC-area stations WDRE, WPLJ, WNEW, K-ROCK and Z100 introduced me to everything from irresistible pop confections to under-the-radar post-punk anthems. I would not be who I am today if it weren’t for the 80s. It was the decade when I discovered music can be a truly powerful thing. #31DaysOf80sSongs

The world of Cocteau Twins is one of mesmerizing euphoria. A world where Elizabeth Fraser’s vocals soar like stardust, while Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymonde create these dreamy soundscapes for you to get lost in. These musical expressions would later become some of the early inspiration for shoegaze bands in the decade to follow. Cocteau Twins were way ahead of their time. And yet, their music is still fresh even today. The resilience of albums like Treasure, Blue Bell Knoll and Heaven or Las Vegas cannot be contested. Just listen to “Lorelei” and you’ll know why.

Cocteau Twins have always been more about the mood than the message. Often times, Fraser’s vocals are nearly indecipherable. I couldn’t tell you what “Lorelei” is about – or really what any other Cocteau Twins song is about, for that matter. But I can tell you what it feels like. Imagine being taken up in a cloud and brought into a kingdom of clouds where the sun shines like gold and angels float by you in slow-motion. A band is playing without a stage – just a musical trio in sync and fully buoyant in the bright, bright atmosphere. In other words, “Lorelei” feels a bit like heaven.

“We’re covered by the sacred fire. When you come to me, you come to broke.”

"HEAVEN OR LAS VEGAS" COCTEAU TWINS (1990)

For the second half of September, I’m putting my Mental Jukebox into a time machine, featuring the best songs on the best albums from the very best years of music. #70sThrough90sBestAlbum

It’s a shame more people don’t know the remarkable beauty and ingenuity of Cocteau Twins. The Heaven or Las Vegas album may have been their most well-known effort, but it still soars blissfully under the radar after all these years. The band helped create the soundscaped genre of dream pop much like how My Bloody Valentine helped shape the shoegaze equivalent. The title track, in particular, is one of my favorite Cocteau tracks to get lost in.

“Heaven or Las Vegas” emanates and enlightens. It could’ve made the darkest recesses of the earth sound euphoric. Elizabeth Fraser, once again, sounded more angelic than human. The swirling synths are practically hypnotizing, while the guitar holds you in a steady trance with these gorgeous cascading arpeggios and soaring riffs. Clocking in at nearly five minutes, “Heaven or Las Vegas” has become a shining example, not just of dream pop, but of any soundscape genre.

“I want to love. I've all the wrong glory.”

"ICEBLINK LUCK" COCTEAU TWINS (1990)

Still have no idea what this song is about. And it doesn’t matter. “Iceblink Luck” and much of the Cocteau Twins catalog, is quintessential pop music for me. Pop, not as in popular. Pop, as in fun and accessible. And that voice. No one sings with the ethereal qualities of Elizabeth Fraser.

“You're the match of Jericho. That will burn this whole madhouse down. And I'll throw open like the wall, not safe. More like a love that's a bottle of exquisite stuff.”