Head Over Heels

by Cocteau Twins

Overview

Losing original member Heggie might at first have seemed a troubling blow, but in fact it allowed the duo of Fraser and Guthrie to transcend the darkened one-note gloom of Garlands with Head Over Heels. The album introduces a variety of different shadings and approaches to the incipient Cocteaus sound, pointing the band towards the exultant, elegant beauty of later releases. Opening number "When Mama Was Moth" demonstrates the new musical range nicely; Fraser's singing is much more upfront, while Guthrie creates a bewitching mix of dark guitar notes and sparkling keyboard tones, with percussion echoing in the background. Other songs, like the sax-accompanied "Five Ten Fiftyfold" and "The Tinderbox (Of a Heart)" reflect the more elaborate musical melancholy of the group, while still other cuts are downright sprightly. "Multifoiled" in particular is a charm, a jazzily-arranged number that lets Fraser do a bit of scatting (a perfect avenue for her lyrical approach!), while "In the Gold Dust Rush" mixes acoustic guitar drama into Fraser's swooping singing. Perhaps the two strongest numbers of all are: "Sugar Hiccup," mixing the mock choir effect the band would use elsewhere with both a lovely guitar line and singing; and "Musette and Drums," a massive, powerful collision of Guthrie's guitar at its loudest and most powerful and Fraser's singing at its most intense. ~ Ned Raggett

Product Details

Release Date:	03/16/2018
Label:	4Ad
UPC:	0652637370911
Rank:	24513

Tracks

1. When Mama Was Moth
2. Five Ten Fiftyfold
3. Sugar Hiccup
4. In Our Angelhood
5. Glass Candle Grenades
6. In the Gold Dust Rush
7. The Tinderbox (Of a Heart)
8. Multifoiled
9. My Love Paramour
10. Musette and Drums

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Cocteau Twins   Primary Artist
Elizabeth Fraser   Vocals
Robin Guthrie   Guitar

Technical Credits

Cocteau Twins   Producer
Elizabeth Fraser   Composer,Group Member
John Fryer   Producer
Robin Guthrie   Composer,Remastering,Group Member
Jon Turner   Engineer
23 Envelope   Design,Artwork,Art Direction