Cassette experiment day 14 - The Cocteau Twins 'Victorialand'

I'd barely driven out of our street this morning when I was cruelly cut-up by an 11 year old Daihatsu YRV.
I reached instinctively for the horn to warn other road-users of the impending road safety risk, when Elizabeth Fraser's voice on the appropriately titled opening track of Victorialand wrapped me in a warm comfortable blanket and I was suddenly becalmed.

The Cocteau Twins tend to do that to me - I don't listen to them every day or every week as some people do, but it's re-assuring to know that there's a warm musical blanket whenever it's required.

Choosing favourite tracks is difficult, because Cocteau Twins albums don’t tend to work like that – they’re usually best appreciated as a whole rather than singling out individual tracks. If pushed, however, I’d be inclined to point you towards side 2, track 2 ‘Little Spacey’. Not as you may suspect a tribute to the UK’s favourite adopted American thespian, but a beautiful piece of dreamy pop music (it’s The Cocteau Twins, what do you expect me to say?). Track titles are fabulous too – ‘Fluffy tufts’ or ‘Oomingmak’ are not the kind of words bandied about in song titles on your usual Robbie Williams album.

Needless to say for a Cocteau Twins album, the cover (or in the cassette’s case, insert) is a work of art too – so much so that I’ve decided to give the designers a credit below too!

Label – 4AD

Year – 1986

Sleeve (insert!) design – 23 Envelope