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.”