The Greatest Cocteau Twins Songs

Forty years on from the release of their Victorialand album, Alexis Petridis of the Guardian has ranked his favourite dream-pop songs from the Scottish band. The full top 20 best tracks are listed in the article here, with a small except to whet the whistle below - a link to their website is here.

20. Wax and Wane (1982)
At first, Cocteau Twins gave every impression of being a goth band: check out Wax and Wane's Banshees-esque ambience – the guitar is very John McGeoch – flanged bass and drum machine. But the chorus soars out of the metaphorical cloud of dry ice, and Elizabeth Fraser's voice is already outpacing her influences.

19. Half-Gifts (1995)
One of several intriguing new directions explored towards their career's end, the Twinlights EP offered the unlikely sound of Cocteau Twins more or less unplugged: set to piano, strings and a whisper of synth, Half-Gifts is entirely lovely. (If you prefer, there's an equally beautiful, sonically lusher version on their eighth and final album Milk & Kisses.)

18. Those Eyes, That Mouth (1986)
In an oeuvre filled with breathtaking moments, the point where the chorus of Those Eyes, That Mouth kicks in – when the guitar suddenly blooms into a sheet of ringing sound and Elizabeth Fraser hits a succession of high, shivering notes – is among the most breathtaking of all.

17. Know Who You Are at Every Age (1993)
More direct – and emotionally troubled – than anything Cocteau Twins had previously recorded, major-label debut Four-Calendar Café was coolly received on release. But time has burnished its power: this album opener marries a languorous acoustic guitar to lyrics that unflinchingly describe being trapped in post-breakup grief.

Read the full article to find out the rest https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/apr/09/dream-pop-at-its-most-divine-cocteau-twins-20-greatest-songs-ranked

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