Treasure

One of the good discoveries I've made from doing this is a newfound appreciation for dream pop and shoegaze. This album is sublime.

hintergrundmusik.

A little too out there for me

An ethereal sound backed by Elizabeth Frazer’s beautiful voice. Could listen to this all day. My favourite Cocteau album.

Brings me back to my 1988 dorm room listening trying to be cool with the edgy upperclassmen. I still cannot get into it. The music is great. But the vocals bother my misophonia.

Could never get into Cocteau Twins, think its a me problem

It all sounded the same. Not a fan.

There’s good blending and bad blending. This is the latter

Just like the other album from them we had (why on earth two of them are on the list is beyond me). Super boring, kinda weird, lotta nothing going on. Dumb

Was like listening to Kate Bush but with completely indecipherable lyrics. Kinda got annoying after first few tracks. 2.5 stars

Possible my favorite singer, and a band I also adore. I think this album is amazing. It is something fresh, feels timeless, and it has never been replicated by anyone.

1052 - "Here's your juice box and orange slice. Thanks for coming."

Woah okay. Cocteau Twins my love. My god. Words cannot describe how much I adore Mr. Twins. Stunning beautiful haunting ethereal music. This feels more cloaked than some of their other works. I like the little yips. I get what they mean when they say it's underdeveloped it feels like refined. But I am a big fan of this. Big fan of them. Haunting. Kinda scary. Giving me phantom of the opera. Interesting. Big fan of this vibe. I'm scared in a bad way. Persephone dude. haunting as hell. This is kinda insane. Are they saying words dude?? They don’t need to say words I understand anyway. Just so insane and haunting and heavenly and wonderful. Favourite: Beatrix Least favourite: Amelia

Didn't like it quite as much as Heaven or Las Vegas, but that's not really an insult. This is still amazing, gorgeous music that I could listen to all day.

The vocals on this album are more than just singing. They’re an instrument. Blended together with the other instruments they create a really cool ethereal atmosphere.

Interesting, impresssive

I didn't really care too much for Cocteau Twins back in the 1980s, and while I now see something a bit more appealing in this album (and I do believe it deserves its place on this list), I still find it a bit annoyingly fey.

Abwechslungsreich, die Stimme ist sehr dünn.

This is pretty good, not what I was expecting but good, in an ok kind of way. It's a little trippy and ethereal and dark but I'm glad to have heard it

There were a LOT of excellent albums released in 1984, yet Treasure breezed in like a breath of fresh air. On their third LP, The Twins had really mastered their DreamPop genre, and sounded like no-one else at the time. Even now, it's still an immersive unique experience. Damned fine stuff.

Ok, something that sounds like it would improve with further listens.

Good

мне нравятся Cocteau Twins! эти спокойные, мрачноватые, таинственные мелодии. до этого слушала только более поздние альбомы. Treasure понравился меньше, не оценила высокий вокал, он скорее отвлекал и в какие-то моменты раздражал. в двух последних песнях, Otterley и Donimo, уже было то, что я люблю. они больше всего понравились. еще неплохая Lorelei

Took me back to another era.

And 1984 was such a good year.

Like a consommé. Really not enough to get your teeth in to. 2*

Ethereal wave, dream pop.

Nice

Simply beautiful. I added “Ivo” to my playlist.

Fine? I liked some of it but a lot didn’t click with me.

I was surprised at how much I liked it. Took me a minute to remember that this is the band where they aren't really singing words but nonsense sounds that fit with the music. It surprised me how well I liked it, very good music and the nonsense lyrics were delivered with great vocal talent. I don't remember listening to this when I was young but I may not have liked it back then due to the lyrics. It's something I will definitely listen to again.

Har svårt för när man försöker mörka dåliga låtar med ett ännu sämre sound. Får mig att känna motsatsen till att dricka 8 starköl och sjunga med - lägg ner verksamheten

Det här albumet och en ändlös resa mot horisonten i skenet av solnedgången. Riktig vibe

Sjukt släpp 1984! Hade nog diggat det mer på en annan dag, just idag gjorde det inte så mycket. Lyssna på ”Heaven or Las Vegas” istället!

Vet inte om jag bara inte förstår eller om det är objektivt dåligt. Subjektivt låter det bara spretigt, inget tempo, ingen riktning,

Oklart vad man ens lyssnar på vad är det ens för språk? men vissa grejer lät bra. Svårrankat

Weird, beautiful, saddish but also warm. I know Deftones and Cure like them.

Not really my style, but not bad. I bet this was really unique in the early 80s.

Un peu épeurant, surtout la dernière toune

Very atmospheric and pleasant, but it needs to be listened to in the right setting. I originally had it playing while running and just from the phone speaker but quickly switched to a better more stereo friendly device. That made it much better.

Boring. But I heard the name Persephone 3 times the day I listened to this!

This is spectacular… I prefer the first half to the second to be honest but that last track is incredible. I would’ve given it a 4.5 on a half-star scale but I feel like rounding up. Reminds me a bit of the Cranberries but more mystical? Whatever. My First 5

I've tried to get in to the Cocteau Twins before, though not with this album. . . I'm mostly a lyrics-forward listener, so although the music is good and her voice is beautiful, I find it hard to stay engaged when there are no decipherable lyrics. That said, I love the overall vibe of this album too much to give it a bad score, even if I probably won't come back to it personally.

If anyone was wondering what the vastness of the universe sounds like, it's the incomparable voice of Liz Fraser.

At first I was hopeful that being a somewhat unique Scottish act with an “ethereal sound” that it would defy its era and its genre. Alas, it did, but not in a good way and it was actually worse. Another log on the funeral pyre that this list of mostly has been and never were UK bands plods on.

Another ambient album to follow Tangerine Dream’s ‘Phaedra’, but much more interesting. Elizabeth Graser’s voice is crystal and honey, and I could float on it all day. Beautiful atmosphere. But not their best album!

Intentionally obscure lyrics, but great sound. This is wonderful background.

Not adding it to my library but I was kind of feeling it

treasure

This was boring

Siouxsie and The Banshees imitators forge their own pathway by shifting from post-punk to dream pop and shimmering guitars through which Elizabeth Fraser uses her Siouxsie Sioux sounding vocals to cut through the guitar and drum machine to create sonically intersecting tracks. This is the best of Cocteau Twins work in my opinion. As an album for headphones the most interesting tracks are those where the melody is revealed amidst the gauze and hangs with Fraser’s vocals. Take opener Ivo for example where the multiple levels of vocals transform the song propelling it forward although at its core a simple riff repeated a number of times. Does the whole album work is the real question. Yes, but the resemblance to Siouxsie And The Banshees and The Glove is hard to overlook. 4/5

I LOVE IT IT’S BEAUTIFUL. A LITTLE BIT EERIE AT SOME PARTS BUT IT’S STILL BEAUTIFUL

This is why I can never watch Trainspotting without the subtitles

It took a minute to fully click with me, but once it did, it was all over. While I don't think it has too many memorable peaks, the atmosphere Treasure creates is simply brilliant and features some of the most gorgeous soundscapes of the time.

*Treasure* finds the Twins hitting their stride, confidently staking our their own lush guitar-driven sound on this ten-track collection. Vocalist Elizabeth Fraser's voice is otherwordly and muscular at the same time, and her ability to navigate tricky rhythms is remarkable. The album's second side is a little less compelling than the first though, keeping the record from dethroning *Heaven Or Las Vegas* as CT's best album.

Really just background ambient rock. Ok, but not my jam.

And somehow I ended up walking into this album. What did I think? I was honestly in the middle on this album. Going in, I expected it to be some kind of electronic album, which I wasn’t super excited about since I’ve been mixed on most electronic albums I’ve gotten thus far. After listening to it, it definitely wasn’t that. It was more like if Björk and The Cure had a baby. It was more new wave-y than I expected, but I still have some hang-ups with this album. The whole thing ended up sounding spacey, which did lend itself to some cool sounds, but it ended up feeling like I was listening to the bottom of the ocean in a mediocre way. The whole thing sounded like one big blob to me, where the songs would kind of blend together. I did have some standouts, being Beatrix, Persephone, Pandora(For Cindy), and Amelia, these being the most memorable to me, with Amelia having a cool piano part, but I don’t feel like I’d come back to this album and actively spin it again. Overall, not bad, but could have been better. I’m hoping to find a different kind of treasure in the next album.

weird music for freaks 5/5

80s Teagan and Sarah (no titties on the cover though, sadly). I’m pretty sure this album was in English but I couldn’t understand a word. It wasn’t offensively bad but not good.

2.5 I got this album on my birthday and I'm a twin. Oddly enough me and my bro sound exactly like this after a night at the bar. "randomizer" strikes again.

Good album

Musically it's super interesting I just don't find myself loving it. I bet if I'd heard it in the 80s as new music I'd be blown away, but in 2026 the impact doesn't quite hit so hard. I think it's how treble/mid forward it is.

Enchanting. Cocteau Twins are fantastic

Op zich mooi, maar teveel van hetzelfde

Enjoyed this album. Had not listened to their early work before.

Amazing, no idea what they're saying but i do not care, so many emotions that don't make sense, very cool

This album is a treasure <3 lovely vocals and insane soundscape, felt like i was drifting underwater in a pirate shipwreck

I've never heard one of our albums but it was a welcome surprise.

So I am super familiar with Heaven or Las Vegas and have listened to it over the years. It’s something I sometimes really feel, sometimes really don’t. I don’t think I have ever listened to this much earlier album, and I was kinda excited about it. But I am not feeling it today. A little bit. But not really. Usually the unintelligible vocals are part of the otherworldly trip. But on this project, the feeling that it’s a different language I just don’t understand is lacking. It seems much more what it is - an English speaker willfully not singing in any language. And it’s annoying more often than not. The music isn’t as… cohesive? I’m not sure that’s quite right, but Heaven or Las Vegas is a world unto itself. I’ve always liked listening to it as an album. It takes me on a trip. This album did not succeed in that. But it still had very lovely moments. 3 Boolean: true? Not really sure. Glad to get the background, but probably would boot it in favor of something else.

Simplesmente fenomenal!!!!

never heard of album or band. 80s alt, not high hopes. Cool production on ivo. Don’t understand the lyrics at all. Kind of junk. But I don’t hate it yet. Lorelei is better but still junk lyrics. I will say it’s a song that’s ahead of its time. This is very 2000s alt. Don’t like the abrupt ending. Cool sounds to open Beatrix. Kept expecting it to kick up but it never did. Not a bad song tho. Actually used some real words on Persephone which I liked. The drums are trash. Sound like they’re recorded from a YouTube video. More junk lyrics on pandora. Pretty good production again. This one just keeps going. Pretty good song. More junk vocals on Amelia. The background tracks throughout are pretty good tho which makes up for it. Amelia is super repetitive tho. Ultimately didn’t really like that one. Aloyious might as well be the same song. Just has a dif background track. Super average song. More so what I’m looking for on cicely. Much better electro beat/production. Lyrics work better on this one as well. Keys and bass carry. Really good stuff there. Otterlay is nothingness. Just sounds. Not good or bad. Domino is a nice way to end it. Lyrics on this one work better than any other song. Another great background track. Good way to close out the album. A lot of good elements, but it just wasn’t my style. Better than JAA but wil not listen again. 2.8/5 stars.

This album is okay, a bit dream poppy. Not really for me but It was okay in the background while I worked. I would say about 2.5 stars.

Im August und September 1984 zog sich das schottische Trio um Elizabeth Fraser, Robin Guthrie und Simon Raymonde in die Palladium Studios nach Edinburgh sowie ins Rooster Studio im Westen Londons zurück, um für ihr Label 4AD jenes Album einzuspielen, das ihren ätherischen Sound endgültig kristallisieren sollte. Treasure markiert den Moment, in dem sich Guthries schwebende Gitarrenwände und Frasers glossolalische, kaum textlich fassbare Stimme zu einer eigenständigen Klangsprache verdichten, die weder Post-Punk noch klassischer Pop sein will. Stücke wie „Ivo“, „Lorelei“ oder „Persephone“ zeigen, wie sehr die Band hier von reiner Songstruktur abrückt zugunsten von Textur und Atmosphäre. Fraser singt weniger Worte als Klangfarben, während Guthries Effektgitarren den Raum öffnen, in dem Raymondes Bass nur behutsam ankert. Es ist ein Album, das man weniger versteht als durchschreitet. Gerade in der Reibung zwischen digitaler Kälte der Mitte-80er-Produktion und der emotionalen Wärme der Melodien liegt der eigentümliche Reiz von Treasure. Robin Guthrie selbst hat das Album später als „datiert“ bezeichnet – zu Unrecht, wie ich finde, denn genau diese frühdigitale Patina verleiht Stücken wie „Beatrix“ eine zerbrechliche, fast schwebende Qualität, die sich bis heute kaum kopieren lässt. Ein Album, das den Traum-Pop nicht nur mitbegründete, sondern gleich in einer seiner reinsten Formen auslieferte.

Vamos hoy miércoles con esta banda bellísima que hace un tiempo escuché entera. Gótico, introspectivo y, justamente por eso, hipnótico. Tiene obviamente algo romántico, etéreo, soñado a través de todo el disco. Un álbum bellísimo, muy tranquilizador. Gracias y hasta mañana

Not my style at all

What do the Greek titles have to do with the album? It sounds somber and moody unlike Heaven or Las Vegas, but the instruments are still familiar. Maybe it's HoLV but in a minor key. Anyways, I can't really get into this because the melodies just aren't there! I don't care about the yap-singing, just the fact that if I can hum it, I'll enjoy it. I don't really find that much there; it's atmospheric for a reason. Guess that's a muscle I need to grow throughout this challenge. Thankfully, I can add this post-punk/dream-pop album to my growing knowledge base of British-sounding records! Feel like I'm slowly becoming a pop/music detective with how many records I've listened to the span decades (2.5-3).

Meh

Not their best but still great

I've known this band by name for at least 20 years by now and used to see them mentioned a lot back when I was getting into shoegaze, dreampop and whatnot. But somehow I never really "got" them and had no longer recollection of what they sounded like. So I was, honestly, pretty excited to see if I'd find a new great band to listen to now. But weirdly, I still don't get it. It's just something about the melodies that simply does nothing for me. The exact same thing happened with Echo and the Bunnymen when I got their album earlier on this list. I can see why people like them but their thing just isn't on the same wavelength with me. It's perfectly okay, but nothing I really feel like I'd need to come back to. Maybe I'll give them another after another 20 years and see how it feels then.

Second Cocteau Twins album on here proves they were truly 1 of 1 in their hazy vocal deliveries and heavenly soundscapes. "Lorelei" was the first dose of hypnotic euphoria, with its head-nodding rhythm. But "Pandora (for Cindy)" was the real treat. A galivanting set of vocal melodies hanging overhead, acting as a blissed-out lullaby. The choral voices on the closing "Donimo" really caught my attention too. A great way to drive home the otherworldly feeling this whole record wields. A strong 3 that will probably jump to a 4 on repeated listens. I've really come to appreciate this group. While this isn’t their best record to my ears, I love their sound regardless

I didn't find much to enjoy

Very dreamy, but supprisingly harsh things happening in the background. I really can't think of anything else that sound quite like this.

É o meu segundo favorito da banda, atrás de Heaven or Las Vegas.

I dunno, I listened to half of it and then my work day ended, and I don't feel called back to finish it, so I think this landed on me like yet another bland electronica album. Nothing really stood out for me, I wasn't hooked, big ol' MEH.

This album struck a cord with me, and it was a major one (Fmaj7 on Ivo). I had heard of the Cocteau Twins on a Instagram reel a while ago and liked them but didn’t make it back to find out more. I am glad they came up on the list this week. This album is a beautiful combination of electronica, traditional instrumentation and their dreamy vocals. I actually spent the better part of the day listening to it. With how timeless this feels I was surprised it was written in 1984, though I can hear some Souixsie, La Ruth-era Bowie and Enigma in there. Honestly I liked the entire experience and look forward to listening with my good headphones some night. Key songs were Ivo, Cicely and I loved how the last two songs Otterly and Donimo brought the dream back. This is a listen again soon.man, to be alive in the USA in the 1960s, Germany in the ‘70s, and France in the ‘80s!

Random thoughts: * Dream pop pioneers! * What is there to say about dream pop. It kind of says everything about it. * I didn't hate this album but I didn't exactly like it either. * If you're in the right mood this music can hit. * Probably will listen again when I need to float off into the ether.

THE best Cocteau Twins album oh I will always love on this album

Enjoyed it, not as good as Heaven in las Vegas but the vibe is there

Lot's of great tracks and a unique sound.

The Cocteau Twins were definitely too cool for me to listen to when I was growing up in the eighties so there catalog has passed me by completely. So I was very excited when one of the records came up yesterday and I wasn’t disappointed, really enjoyed listening to it and while dive into the back catalog for sure.

I liked this. I think I liked their second album better, but this one was pretty cool as well - a good listen.

Better than Coldplay

Too out there and artsy for my taste.

This one is from the Scottish band Cocteau Twins. The tracks appear to be named after relatively uncommon names (Beatrix, Cicely, etc.). The female singer has a wispy voice, and as Wiki mentions, the lyrics often eschew any recognizable language. The music is ethereal and at times almost religious.

The whole "nonsense lyrics" thing kinda bugs me (shoegaze-adjacent?!) but I like the music here a lot. Some people seem to see the lack of coherent lyrics as a point in their favor ("so unique! the voice... as instrument!"), which makes no sense to me. Anyone can write dumb lyrics and refuse to release them! The voice is always an instrument!! I guess the technique got them on this list (twice so far), but I'd say that if they even just released the actual lyrics it'd be 25% better. Like, Grimes has a very similar vibe, but she owned the banality of those lyrics (even if other things, not so much). Anyway, it's a 4 for me, but a bit of a heartbreaking silver medal situation where it's like "you could be truly great if you were just a little different!!"

Unintelligible warbling vocals over jangling indie chords. The result of which is a pretentious collection of one-dimensional tracks, suited only to 80s art students and 6Music dads. A 'treasure' that should remain undiscovered. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ ★★☆☆☆(4/10) Total reviewed : 385 Already owned : 85 Purchased : 16 To buy : 7 Nope : 277

So many albums in this list meander and this is one of them. Interesting musically on occasion, but not memorable.

A bit too mellow and ethereal for me, I found it all a bit boring.

It was ok my I much prefer their later stuff

This indie goth sound isn’t for me. Especially with female lead. Just too fantasy like. 2.75

nicht schlecht

absolute bangers. you can hear how they influenced some other female rockers in the 90s

This is so incredibly interesting. Ivo was an absolutely mesmerizing way to start out this album. By the cover I was expecting something more metal adjacent, but I wasn’t disappointed. Lorelei reminded me of some kind of occult chanting. Beatrix sounded almost trancelike. That’s honestly how I felt about the rest of the album. It was quite relaxing. Pandora (for Cindy) had a lovely metronome to it. The drums in Amelia were so interesting to listen to. It felt like the song was driven by the percussion without it being too overbearing. Alyosius was beautiful, and I really liked Cicely as well. Domino was absolutely gorgeous and a great way to end this album. 4.5/5 ⭐️ 197/1089

I knew I was going to hate this from the first note.

Lorelai remains one of my favorite Cocteau Twins songs!

..

Oooo, she gothy!

Once is enough for this “Treasure”.

Really? Another CT album? Really? They're that good?! This is better than say any Journey album, or any Chuck Berry, or Billy Idol, or Weezer? Oreven stuff I don't like from Garth Brooks, Whitney Houston, Neil Diamond, Billie Eilish, etc? They're only on here cause they were big in England in '84 apparently. Didn't make a dent over her. They suck and this list is slanted to any band who came from Stratford Upon Avon, Dorchester, Liverpool, Spotted Dick, Manchester or Worcestershire. 2 stars, it's not good.

Nothing really like these, Spotify has it down to a tee when describing their output: distinctly ethereal and gossamer

A progenitor to many bands I love and respect. A little put off by the seemingly nonsensical lyrics. Otherwise, a chill and ethereal listen

So ethereal, love the vibes. Persephone was really cool. 4/5 ⭐️

Not necessarily my vibe but a vibe nonetheless

Not as great as Heaven or Las Vegas but still pretty good 4.5/5

This one came out of nowhere. I really loved how atmospheric it was. Gave me a bit of Enya mixed with Imogen Heaps vibes. Really enjoyed. Was enhanced by how gloomy it's been outside lately

Banger, one of my favorites so far. Hadnt ever listened to them before now. I do think I like Heaven or Las Vegas more though

Unfortunately find this a little underwhelming despite its acclaim. There are elements that really appeal to me but it’s too dreamy and ethereal to capture me fully. RYM: Y (#206) Saved a song: N

What the heck i actually loved this so i listened to it a second time as soon as it ended. Lorelei is a crazy banger. I didn’t love their more popular album, they are pretty similar but this is more my vibe somehow

Second Cocteau Twins album, second time I can’t make out a single word Elizabeth Fraser is singing. Yet, no matter, I do love their ethereal soundscapes. This one blurred together on a first listen - it didn’t consistently wow me as did “Heaven or Las Vegas” - but I did enjoy it.

Fraser y Guthrie. Sonidos espectrales, portada icónicas, un universo propio. Algo que en cierto modo les una con bandas como The Cure. Venían de dos discos muy buenos como Garlands y Head Over Heels pero este es un paso de gigante. Incorporan al bajo a Simon Raymonde y aquí comienza el Dreampop- shoegazing y una miriada de bandas lo tienen como su piedra filosofal. Desde el post-punk pasan a usar efectos de guitarra, y sobre todo el uso de la propia voz de Fraser como instrumento. 10 temas, cada uno con un solo nombre. Nunca quedaron del todo satisfechos con el disco, pero es una obra de arte mayúscula. Ivo es un gran comienzo, ya es toda una experiencia. Su tema estrella es la inagotable Lorelei. Fraser está inconmensurable. En Beatrix entendemos porqué hablamos de etéreo al hablar de los Cocteau twins. Persephone gana en potencia, recuerda a sus inicios. Pandora (For Cindy) es otro de sus mejores momentos, más pop, muy bueno. Amelia ya despega sola, gorgoritos varios para otro gran tema., como la dulce Aloysius o el enigmático y perturbador Cicely. Otterley y Domino difuminan los últimos pasajes del disco. Imprescindible, y no es su mejor álbum...

364 days ago, I started this project with another Cocteau Twins album and gave it a 3. That seems to be the standard for them. This is the second time I've listened all the way through a Cocteau Twins album and, with luck, will be the last.

idk mid

El album parece un ritual para invocar espíritus, todo muyyy extraño

I’ve known this album for years but bought the vinyl a week before this came up on the randomiser. Special band, consistent throughout the eighties and into the nineties. I find myself listening to the more than ever this decade. The guitar is a bit more strident on this one and it’s the lp that is a precursor to Shoegaze.

The Cocteau Twins to Crystal Castles set of dominoes is just two dominoes, but I sure do like those dominoes.

A classic 3. Nothing that makes me go nuts, but a good listen here and there.

What a gem of a fine, have not heard this band before but very happy to find some more good Scottish artists, have been listening to more of them since.

Escuchando

Solid background music, but very, very boring Best Song: Pandora (For Cindy) Rating: 5/10 Stars: 3

3/10 No le preste atencion, no se si es malo justamente por eso pero no me gusto, no me atrapó en ningún momento

No

Mooi album. Was niet bekend met dit album tbh, maar het was een fijne reis in shoegaze wereld. Lorelei is een banger

Dromerig, atmosferisch, mysterieus, zacht. Het gevoel dat je valt in een droom en dan landt op een diep donsbed. Alles wat ik zoek in dit soort muziek en misschien een beetje meer. Ik dacht dat 'Heaven or Las Vegas' het meesterwerk van deze band was, maar dit komt verdacht dichtbij.

this changes lives.

I was just listening to this last night...

Album cover looks like a shirt that would make a mint in Hot Topic or Spencer's circa 1999. Especially that logo. Man, I think STAIND directly ripped their font from this. IIIIIT's BEEN AWHILE. Wow. Now there's a five star experience. Experience. Listen to me. My vocabulary has been shaped by evil gremlins perched atop a Highrise plotting society's doom to scrounge together a few extra bucks. Let's go back to thinking about nu-metal bands that omit the last vowel. We got Staind. Hmmm Trapt? They took a bunch of liberties with that one HEADSTRONG I'LL TAKE YOU ON. HEADSTRONG, I'LL TAKE ON ANYONE, I KNOW THAT YOU ARE WRONG. That song played on repeat during the gaming "experience" that was "Legends of Wrestling II" for the GameCube. I can recall desperately trying to vanquish Greg "The Hammer" Valentine in a cage match while Trapt wormed it's way into my brain like a virus. No wonder I'm such a star writer now! Anyway, this album is not nu-metal. It's weird, and I can see why I've heard the name "Cocteau Twins" so much in the world of musical pretentiousness. A world that I like to observe, laugh at, cringe at, and of course, occasionally steal recommendations from. "Treasure" started off HOT. Not in a weird sexual way you disgusting pervert, but in a "this is cool album kind of way." It faded into the background from there. This is your middle of the road sort of record, but considering I expected to be ablaze in the ditch, being middle of the road seems just fine. 2.5 HIGHLIGHTS: JACQUES CARTIER VOICE REVEALED??? (EMOTIONAL)

Not in the mood for this today

#426 / 1089 Heard before? ❌ Revisit? ❌ It was... uneventful. It played, I noticed it playing few times, thought the vocalist sounded unnecessarily breathy and whispery. I've no recollection of the music, it wasn't offensive I guess. Vaguely miffed 2, under mediocre 3/5.

This was different and cool. I recognized a couple. The drums were interesting. Almost gets me rounding up but not quite. 3.5/5

The album that introduced me to them. Ethereal dream pop at its best. A solid listen for any day or night when the mood is right.

Not much to not like about this. Solid beats, unique sound, interesting parts. Nothing really offensive but at the same time, not all that engaging. Nice background music that kind of just blends in. Man, I hate giving 3s but definitely where this falls for me.

Ethereal pop. I can dig it. 3.5/5

very ethereal, a bit too esoteric for my taste, like Enya more

Good album. Maybe a 4.

The songs were definitely hit or miss for me, but the grungy shoegaze sound really resonated with me. This is like the audio equivalent of watching Twin Peaks or something.

Felt too experimental, like they were trying too hard to be artsy. Not my kind of sound

Not mine

Not my cup of tea

Was not the type of pop I expected, but it still wasn't really my thing.

Enjoyable Playlist add: "Persephone"

An album I would have never listened to if it wasn't for 1001 albums. This one makes up for at least 20 of the bad ones i had to get through. Beautiful!

6.8

I started by listening to the wrong album. It's kinda hard to go wrong with Cocteau Twins when you really want a dramatic soundscape of shoegaze

Hard to get into initially, esp the vocals. But enjoyed some songs Standout songs: Beatrix Persephone

Bello ma non è heaven or las vegas

As I listened to this, I kept thinking that this is the sound of the sirens! This is what Odysseus heard as he crashed his ship. Beautiful, ethereal, delicate, otherworldly, but also driving, dangerous, frightening. Even the indecipherable lyrics play into it. Initially, I hadn't even realized that one of the tracks was called "Lorelei" (which is, essentially, the German siren myth)! I got "Heaven or Las Vegas" a few months back, and it's been on regular rotation in my household ever since. This is another great entry, more primitive in some ways, but that's kind of what works so well about it. Cocteau Twins are certainly one of my favorite discoveries to come out of this project.

Not as great as Heaven or Las Vegas, but still very good. A high four.

Not as good as Heaven or Las Vegas but still interesting listen. I wonder what is on the album cover.

I didn't realize she was singing in English for the first four songs. Honestly a weird album but for some reason I liked it. 4/5

Pandora was kinda funny

Treasure but Cocteau twins was nothing special, it kind of reminds me of enya but less encapsulating. Cicely is ok, but they all sound mostly the same and nothing particularly stands out. (2 songs in) I'm not going to lie, I did check multiple times to see when the end of the album was near. I forgot that I put it on shuffle so I was disappointed each time. (5 songs in) Nearing the end I felt pure relief, my opinion on Cocteau twins have plummeted as the album continues. I was feeling pretty tolerable at the start however my patients has worn thin as I crave the end. (9 songs in) Finally finished 1/5 would not listen again

A beautifully crafted album that transports us to a fantasy world

First Listen: Aug 25 2025 not my fav from cocteau twins, but still awesome asf

Seems like it was decently influential and it was creative in a way but didn't do much for me.

Not bad. At times it reminds me of the Donkey Kong Country soundtrack for SNES, just not as good. There was a point in listening to Pandora (For Cindy) that I convinced myself they were singing in Japanese.

This was a fun listen, and I liked the vibe. 3.5, bumping down.

Dreamy, which is not great in this case

Album #124, Cocteau Twins, Treasure ⭐⭐ About 10 years ago, I was completely in love with and obsessed with Cocteau Twins’ Heaven or Las Vegas. I loved the dream pop sound, which wasn’t a genre I’d really been familiar with up to that point, and I loved the languageless singing of Elizabeth Fraser. I thought it was wonderful and totally unique. There was a period where I listened to that album daily during a pretty tough period of my life. I was making music at the time, not very good music, mind you, and I became obsessed with the idea of making dream pop songs because of that album, even though I never actually got around to it. Despite that, I never really got into Cocteau Twins beyond that. The only other song I knew off the top of my head was “Lorelei” from this album. Turns out I was wrong. Turns out I had listened to Treasure years ago. Turns out I remembered disliking it. And here we are again. This was a really unpleasant surprise this morning. Maybe it’s because I’m older now. Maybe it’s because I’m no longer smoking weed daily and being stoned off my gourd all the time. Whatever the reason, this music feels pretty meaningless to me now. I no longer find Elizabeth Fraser’s glossolalia-style singing charming, beautiful, or mysterious. I find it lacking in substance. She has a very good voice, but for me it feels more like a vocal exercise than anything emotionally meaningful. I also think the production is a major problem. The album is extremely lo-fi. I don’t have an issue with lo-fi music generally, but in a style like this, I think you need lush production to really bring out the beauty of what you’re trying to create. Instead, this sounds cheap. It sounds underfunded and undercooked, and whether that’s because of budget limitations or creative choices, it doesn’t work for me. The production actively diminishes the music. The music itself is an issue too. This thing is so twee that I feel like it might collapse under the weight of even mild criticism. After a while it all blends into one mushy haze. I remember Heaven or Las Vegas feeling much more shoegaze-adjacent and much more song-oriented, whereas this feels more like Kate Bush on sedatives in a nursing home. The funny thing is that I’m now almost afraid to revisit Heaven or Las Vegas. It was such an important album to me at one point that I don’t really want to discover that it no longer connects with me either. There are a handful of songs I liked. “Lorelei” is still lovely, and the closing track “Donimo” was actually one of the stronger moments on the album. That said, when I saw that it was over six minutes long, I genuinely groaned because by that point I was so fed up with the record. Thankfully, it turned out to be one of the better tracks. I suspect this won’t be a popular review. Cocteau Twins are one of those bands people hold very dear, and I completely understand why. But this album did very, very little for me. I’m hoping Heaven or Las Vegas survives the revisit when it eventually comes up, because Treasure certainly didn’t.

i can agree that it's soothing but isn't it bit overdone? overdone for 41 mins and 35 secs to be exact. the ''soothing'' harmonies are pretty similar every song. i guess they were trying to create alliteration in their lyrics but r2d2 forms more understandable sentences. Pra-da-da-dee, Peep hole. haha this isn't r2, it's an actual verse from this album haha :/ anyways, i didn't hate it but i'm not sure it's an album i ''must hear'' before i die. i would have given it 1.5/5 but since you can't do halves here, i'm gonna round it down to 1. 2 would be too much.

Yeah was good

A bit conflicted by this album because this album was really consistent it didn’t have the heights of rumours, it also didn’t have some of the cheese of it either, definitely a welcome listen because I’ve never heard this album before but again why 2 albums from the Buckingham/nicks era and no Peter agree era

Twins? Tell me there isn't more than one of these.

Not my favourite Cocteau Twins album, but another wonderful example of their work.

Totally my vibe. Great atmosphere, I’m sure quite a few goth bands in the 90s took inspiration from this record. Very dreamy and mysterious

At times quite pleasant, but for the most part it just washed over me.

Its ok

I cannot understand a word they're saying but it's beautiful.

Ambient and that about all I can say.

I have such a distinct memory of buying this CD at cheapo records and no memory of actually every listening to it often. It sounds pretty dang good. Some cool shoegazey/dream poppy 90's alt rock

Great background sound to add to my sleep mask music. Vocals are weird with no identifiable lyrics, but the band is Scottish (for that a star...) so maybe there is a highland wool waulking song in there?

Not a great start to my day. Can't believe I'm writing this, but I would rather be listening to Enya.

8.3/10 beautiful

What can I say other than I love this album. 4/5 probably a 5/5 idk.

In the few opening bars of this album I laughed out loud at the thought of all the people who were hearing those notes for the first time. Lot of them freaked out by her vocal style and unable to cope. Oh well, they can't all be Lemmy (RIP). Anyhow, haven't heard this in 30 years, and it was a treat to hear it fresh. I love that "Ivo" is the opener, showing Elizabeth Fraser's range of vocal style, the rumbling, somewhat ominous basslines where are a counterpoint to her voice, the jangling acoustic, the electric guitars sometimes shimmery and chiming and sometimes just getting noisy (I had forgotten that Cocteau Twins often used really jagged and abrasive guitar noise). The drum machine sound is very very 80s, cavernous and reverberating. Lots of great songs, many still showing that Siouxsie and the Banshees influence, but also Edith Piaf, and American blues (but all some other alien language, of course). "Persephone" is the one closest to the kind of postpunk rock sound others were making. Solid early album, maybe their most diverse and provocative album, but not quite the ideally polished version of it that would be achieved later in Heaven or Las Vegas, which I think is their album most deserving of everyone's at-least-once-in-a-lifetime attention. 4/5

First time listening to The Cocteau Twins, always been aware of them but never got around to it. Had it on in the car to and from work. I found it a very “delicate “ sounding album that even the car noise smothered it. Gonna revisit it in a darkened sound proof room, I think I’ll love it then.

Before starting this project I'd never heard of Cocteau Twins. This is the second album of theirs that's come up and I have to say that even though this is nothing like what I'd typically listen to there's something very compelling about it. Soundscapes to really lose yourself in. The vocals are what really make it - I have no idea what the singer is saying or even if it's actual words, but it's just on the edge of seeming like it could make sense if only you'd focus on it. When you try though, it simply slips off your brain.

I definitely found that I really like the Cocteau Twins earlier this year. I've only heard their later stuff though so this is a cool foray into their early music. I like the later music more I think but I still really enjoy their energy and unique style. I love my Scottish ethereal music I guess! This album is extremely dream like and creates a super singular atmosphere. I would love to listen to this while laying in a body of water at night. Almost soundtrack-esque. I didn't realize how many albums they released! Definitely like them more the more I listen to them. I don't even know why, they're not my usual taste in music, but sometimes you just click with a certain musical group and that's me with them.

Fallegt

Frábær plata og rosalega þægileg að hlusta á. Bjuggu til skilgreininguna á draumapoppi.

had the chance to relisten to this yesterday, such a lovely dreamy album

This should be right up my street, but I didn't love it. Not a massive fan of electric drum machines, but I guess this must've been super influential in shoegaze becoming a genre. It's clichéd to say, but maybe it's the fact that the lyrics are mainly just noises. But what about when you listen to songs in other languages, surely that's the same thing when you can't understand what they're saying? I don't know, I think it's just not for me. Guitars are kinda nice though, and maybe they'd mean more to me if I found them when I was a super depressed teenager. Anyways, objective 4 or 5, subjective 3.

That was hard work. Will not listen again.

Went by without really noting it.

I gave the other album a 3, but this felt like more of a drag. Maybe I was having a good day last time.

Signature sound, but didn't leave much of an impression

I really enjoy Cocteau Twins, this was an album I tended to look past in their discography. The song Lorelai was the only one I knew well. I enjoy the whole thing they'd got going on. Sort of baroque and multiplicitous layers. I like it. Very whimsical, fairy-like. Fairies at dusk so to speak. Cool band. Appreciate the deeper listen.

This album sounds like a culmination of all the ethereal music from the 90s, 00s, and 10s, but somehow in 84? Mind blowing listen.

Unlistenable. This got the “skipped most of the song” treatment on every song. Just couldn’t do it.

This entire album was way too breathy and had falsetto coming out of every orafice. I couldn’t understand a single word that was sung. I’m pretty sure Spotify didn’t provide the lyrics because AI can’t figure out wtf she’s saying either!! While the music behind the vocals was somewhat nice, this album did absolutely nothing for me. Hard pass.

No, but seriously, what the actual fuck is going on here? Even Bjork hates this album.

Were they singing words or just making sounds? Sounds like they might be saying something, a cry for help perhaps?

Chokerende godt træningsmusik

Skønt! Lyder vildt forud for sin tid, må alt andet lige være et helt definitivt værk hvis man er et dreampop-head (og det er jeg)

Very floaty sound and almost "angelic" vocals.

Enjoyable, but nothing here would get added to a Playlist. 3/5

Just a fantastic album, love some gloomy goth shit

Don’t love it as much as Heaven or Las Vegas because that album has more of a sunny inflection and this one feels much more gloomy and grey (more of a typical Scottish day than a Nevada one), but you know the vibes - the soundscapes are incredible, songs vary but blur together beautifully as a piece, it all makes the point it’s wanting to. It’s pop but like a dream, it is what it is, done well.

May need to listen again (or probably wait for some of the other records by the band). It's not an easy album but it is indeed interesting (though I feel this sub-genre is a bit overrepresented in this project). Not a big fan of Fraser's vocals (sorry). It's about 3,5 stars for me. Songs I enjoyed: "Ivo", "Lorelei" (very good), "Aloysius", "Otterley" (probably my favourite as it is highly atmospheric and "almost" instrumental), and "Donimo".

Very harsh sound

I would have liked this more if she had been singing actual words.

Sounds like a David Lynch soundtrack. This is adjacent enough to music that I do dig, but it doesn't really work for me. I like the production. But their flavor of a dream state just does nothing for me. I think it's a 3 simply because I respect what it is trying to do. I'd be reaching for the skip button should it come back on again though.

After six years they begun to find a structure. After eigth years the had learned to play music. One extra plus because the singer made good melodies and glued the rubbish together. I dont think anyone listen to this record today. How could it end up on the list??? And what about Tangerine dream, Yello, and Adolphson & Falk. A & F with the best album from the synth era with Med rymden i blodet.

I feel like I was supposed to enjoy this, but I didn't. I found the high-pitched vocals, as angelic as they tried to be, almost like knives through my brain. I know it's supposed to give off a dream-like vibe, but I found the mix to be so dense that it was impossible to lose myself in the music. Pretty big swing and a miss for me.

I really like quite a lot of this, and I definitely admire their artistry. The overall effect is still a bit too breathily ethereal for my taste but it's due a reappraisal at some point. I can imagine this might grow on me.

Enjoyed it, chill, lovely voices that i dont understand.

I liked the lush production and the ethereal vibes. Not really my kind of thing though.

Now, I did like it a lot, actually. More than their most popular album, actually. Very nice melodies, great vocals, great synths, atmosphere, everything worked pretty much flawlessly and captured the vibe in a nice manner. Just... Not anything that'd make this album stand out even more. It's great, but not special.

Lush dreamy music

Song-by-sing this album is full of some 4s, some 2s, and a number of 3s. I liked the bright ambient/shoegaze (rather than dreampop) lean compared to Heaven or Las Vegas. 3.3/5 -> 3/5

I like it. A little too dark/gothic for me at times tho. I think I’m more into Heaven and Las Vegas.

Musically I liked it, vocally I just found it was too chanty or whatever you want to call it. Got old after awhile.

I really wanted to like this but I honestly got a little irritated by it and wanted it to be over. Disappointed cause I like some of the Cocteau songs

Classic dream pop. Cocteau twins are legit. The founders of the sound if you ask me. Though they do have better records than this one.

this was good but not great. kinda felt like one long song… nothing that sparked my interest in particular BUT i will listen to more cocteau twins, i enjoy this dream pop etherealism.

Definitely a vibe, kinda interesting, but ultimately not my jam.

You're telling me this is a Scottish group singing a made up language? Get this garbage as far away from this list as possible

Видатний та дуже впливовий гурт. Хороша дискографія у них. Цей альбом мабуть кращий з раннього періоду. Звук, який залишається досі актуальним і, що головне, дуже хороші пісні

Прекрасний класичний альбом.

2/5 I liked the instrumentals, they felt very unique. However I didn't really like lyrics. I do like the ethereal vibe they are going for which I think they nailed. Favorite Song: Ivo

Engaging

Just as sublime as the day I first heard it.

With my recent Dandy Warhols review ringing in my ears (eyes?), I ran through the first few numbers with trepidation. But as it unfolded, it was clear this wasn't the same reverb-fest. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find a Kate Bush-inspired, whimsy-filled, etherial, almost alien landscape. The lead vocalist (who I've learned is Elizabeth Fraser) has an incredible range, and her voice is 10% human vocal chords, 90% synth from the stars. Not for repeat listening, but an auditory experience nonetheless. 3 stars.

So refreshing to get this after a few days of fairly dull genre exercises. It's not as fully realised as what they'd achieve later, obviously, and some of it veers a little too close to New Age for my palate, but the level of invention and ambition here far outweigh those niggles. (So tempted to go 5 to counterbalance all these blokey 1-star reviews, but let's save that for HOLV).

Found this to be largely forgettable. It's just not for me. 2/5 Won't listen again

Falopa mística pero falopa mística espacial. Arranca muy bien y aunque después es medio lo mismo todo el album, está copado como para seguir escuchándolo. Capaz que hasta es un no skip album. Sape

Why is this something I had to hear?

Moments of greatness. Haunting, unique, fascinating. Elizabeth Fraser's voice demands attention. Felt like walking around on a foggy afternoon just before the sun goes down. Has a Siouxsie or Cure vibe, but less restrained by the verse/chorus/bridge musical form. Like a proto-Portisehead.

Just okay

So goddamn winsome.

as friend said, dreamy music and made up noise to sound like words as lyrics.

A second album from Cocteau Twins on this list surprises me. I gave the last one a 3, so I must have liked it more. This album is annoying. Very quiet vocals over bland music. Pandora stood out. 1.5/5

Such a resurgence of fans in 2020s

Nothing special but i didn't think i would like it. Did not feel anything though so no 4th star.

las re amo, son como mis tias

80’s Shoegaze ⭐️Persephone

I can see why they're considered one of the best

Bien! mono! no creo que sea mucho mi estilo pero me pareció coherente y lindo de escuchar de fondo también.

Quite a dreamy and cohesive album, has an ethereal vibe to it that I enjoyed, even if I don’t think I would be adding any of it’s songs into my rotation

Dreamy, soaring, ethereal

4/10

I really loved Heaven Or Las Vegas, so the first few tracks of this had me worried because they definitely weren’t hitting. Maybe I was in the wrong headspace though because by the time I hit Pandora I thought it was all pretty good-great. Might need a second listen.

Love their sound, but after considerable though I have scientifically determined that it's their later album with Las Vegas in the title that I really really love.

i think i listened to this before, but it was so long ago. i love Cocteau Twins so i'm certain i'll enjoy this album Ivo - 5/5 Lorelei - 5/5 Beatrix - 3/5 Persephone - 5/5 Pandora (For Cindy) - 5/5 Amelia - 5/5 Aloysius - 5/5 Cicely - 4/5 Otterley - 3/5 Donimo - 5/5 Average score: 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Charlie Browns teacher over synth pop

Nice background music.

Something so ethereal

Lorelei

I have been listening a little bit to them before and I really enjoy the sound that they use!!

Very nice album, especially the latter half. It feels like all the songs could have been one long song, like it would feel weird if you went to a live show and they just started playing things out of order or like, playing songs from other albums. I don't know how you would tell them apart, tbh, but hey, who's counting? Whatever it is, it's good.

Amazing! I like it! Very unusual sound and brilliant vocal. Lorelei, Amelia and Aloysius are very-very amazing! Others are super also.

Giving this a five for the same reasons lonely sailors leap from their ships when they hear singing sea creatues.

Not aged well really, not sure what it is about. Very Kate bush influenced wooshy vocals.

Crap

Lots of trance and dissonance on this album. Kinda gibberish and yodeling? I didn't necessarily hate the sound, but I definitely didn't like it.

I liked this. Especially the second half. Didn’t over stay it’s welcome. Witchy and gothic, very interesting

I liked this. Lorelai I added to library really good, if I liked another song as much it would’ve been 4 stars

I really want to like this more, but I’m struggling to enjoy something where I can’t comprehend any of the lyrics. It’s too much of a distraction - I find myself trying to understand what’s being sung instead of just enjoying the sound of it all.

I never could get along with the Cocteaus and even now the half-word, non-words, and nonsense have me still straining for lyrical meaning, though I know it's a pointless exercise. The music is invariably beautiful though.

In 1984 this music would've been a long way from my 14 year old Queen fan radar and the acoustic guitar was not the instrument of the era. However, listening with more mature (and open) ears I am appreciating the reverb laden textures and the variety of approaches to songs within the album. Elizabeth Fraser's voice is one of the distinctive female voices of that era looking back. It will need another listen to fully convince me but I could well explore in more detail after this.

While not as good as Heaven or Last Vegas but that is one of favourites from this whole list. Lorelei is 5/5 on its own though. I really like just how otherworldly CT’s stuff all sounds, there’s nothing like it (and if there is I refuse to acknowledge it)

Ethereal

I never really got them.

Overall: 9/10 I don't know why I didn't notice this with the last Cocteau Twins album I got, but I have no clue what the hell she's even saying. It honestly doesn't matter though, cause it adds to the totally gorgeous vibe of these albums. I feel like I'm floating when I listen to them and I just know that I would love this even more on a rainy day. So glad to have discovered them. Fav Song: Persephone

***An ok album

meh

Eigentlich genau mein Stil, elektronisch, bisschen Indierock, aber hat mich nicht umgehauen.

Lahm mit ein paar Highlights

Good alt rock

A classic

Love Cocteau Twins, love this album! Very moody, very 80s!!

Disco muito bom se post Punk/ gótico. Vocais lindos e aterrorizantes. Instrumental brilhante. Celest Phoenixcall.

Everything kind of blended together. It was not *bad* but nothing stood out and I see no reason to return

It’s weird but it worked.

Not bad but not my vibe, easy to listen to

unfortunately, not for me!!

weaker than some of their later albums, but the bar is so high that this is still incredible

3.5+

3.5

See my review for *Heaven or Las Vegas* (7.2) ★★★½

Interesting vibe, but don't like the vocals. 3 stars

I always want to like this album more than I do, in part because "Lorelei" is awesome and pretty easily my favorite Cocteau Twins song. However, I think the second half isn't really that strong except for the closer, "Donimo". The first half definitely has some bangers though -- "Ivo", "Persephone", and the aforementioned "Lorelei" are quite awesome. In the end, I'm settling at a strong 3.5.

Cold and dreamy. Doomy and divine. Mostly Halloween but also sometimes Christmas with not a shred of Tim Burton and Danny Elfman to be seen or heard. One to ‘treasure’ even above Heaven Or Las Vegas. Easy 5.0.

It all sounded the same. A bit high pitched (music not voiced). My gf thought it was Kate bush

Not my favourite Cocteau twins album but still great

I find this irritating

I'll bet they're not even twins! So why two stars? POETIC JUSTICE.

Melodic and dreamy. Interesting first time listen but it's probably nothing I'll ever want to hear again.

Despite not really liking their other album on the list that is much more well known I enjoyed this one, much to my suprise. Not by a bunch but still I'm geving it a positive rating. 6/10

Super atmospheric and ethereal

Choose your english level: 1 - Easy 2 - Medium 3 - Hard 4 - Expert 5 - Legend 6 - Liam Gallagher ... 347 - Cocteau Twins