The Greatest Cocteau Twins Songsfalse10/04/26Forty 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 who . 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. 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. 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.

Source: The Guardian April 10, 2026 10:29 UTC