Treasure

One of the more bearable ethereal pop/dream pop/shoegaze/darkwave albums I've ever listened to from this era, along with Dead Can Dance, This Mortal Coil, Enya, and Black Tape for a Blue Girl. I found this far more enjoyable than their other entry on this list, HEAVEN OR LAS VEGAS. Then again, I think I have finally aged into being able to appreciate what Cocteau Twins did here. I prefer this transmission of the importance of the vibe rather than the lyrically heaviness of many of the singer/songwriters on here. This technique to me reveals more truths than an endless amount of words ever could. You can describe the beauty of a forest with a many, many words, but it will never compare to just looking at one. I cannot stress enough how exotic these groups sounded when they emerged in the 1980s. It sounded really different than anything else, very new, and yet lived in, like these really were treasures that had been found, uncovered, and revealed, rather than concocted and created. Such a major clear influence on Black Tape for a Blue Girl, that member Sam Rosenthal would create the highly influential Projekt Records label to house nothing but artists that explore these sub-genres. You can also hear their influences in the works of Enigma. I truly enjoyed listening to this on a bright, clear Saturday morning in March while sipping tea, even though it is probably best suited to the intimate shadows of night. I had heard a couple of the songs on this album before today, but today I added almost every song remaining. Favorites: "Lorelei", "Utterly", "Donimo"

I wondered when a Cocteau Twins album would appear on this list and finally one is here! Dream Pop at its finest. There are many words to describe their sound; ethereal and dreamy are just two. Liz Frazer's vocals have always intrigued me, I don't do lyrical stories and its a good job, as if you can understand what she is singing about, then good luck to you. This band was such an influence on many 'shoegaze' bands which followed, muffled lyrics, fuzzy chorus pedalled guitars and bass. Sadly I never got to see them live, but one lives in hope. This album was the beginning of their classic sound, well constructed songs underpinned by the drum machine. Perfect from start to finish.

De ensueño

Great surprise.

Fuck yeah Cocteau Twins

their best

215/1089 i already liked Heaven or Las Vegas and this is witchier which i perhaps like even more such a consistently great record, really enjoyed each song and the atmospheric nature of it faves: Cicely, Aloysius, Lorelei, Donimo 85/100

should have made heaven or las vegas 4 so this would be better

Very much a vibe.

I love this album, wish i knew what they were saying

Glossy ethereal dream pop

Just so happy listening to this tonight, thinking about how it influenced so much of the music I love today but how it also stands on its own. If I didn’t know what I was listening to I might imagine that it is dream pop from today with 80s throwback elements. But there they were, imagining this kind of sound before I was even born. I’ll admit I hesitated about the 5 because I’m not sure it affects me as deeply as, say, Beach House… but certain moments certainly do, and this is my first listen to the entire album. Anyway, giving it all five stars because I feel like I am truly in these folks’ debt because of their influence.

If you don't like this b/c you can't understand the lyrics, that's silly. At this point, the Cocteau Twins were clearly making instrumental music, and Liz Fraser was the lead instrumentalist. If you don't like it b/c it's too ethereal, I'm more on your side, but I'd also ask you to take it in w/ an ear for music that's coming from a place few others would dare go, for the shame of it, the romance of it, the sentimentality of it. As the record builds, the more it works its magic on me, the more I'm convinced by its sheer gorgeousness. W/ a complete, almost cloistered belief in themselves, the Twins make art that's remarkably unironic. I couldn't, as some I know, exclusively listen to their paradisal craft. But w/ underrated variety, they're a stirring one-off.

i didn’t know this was an 80s album. their sound is timeless.

I dont understand anything they say but im here for it

At last female voices!

<3

Shimmering. Ethereal. The Rock equivalent of a sonic bath. All of these apply to Treasure. All of the songs are named for women; all are wonderful. For many people Lorelei was their first introduction to Dream Pop. My only wish is that I discovered the album earlier in my life.

Great atmosphere, beautifully haunting vocals and rich instrumentals. Couldn't ask for more

I actually really love it, it’s a mix of chilled, floaty, dreamlike sounds, and some with some more rock/punk/alt elements that I’ve recently really started enjoying. I love the levels of drums and noises together, it evokes a feeling of dreamy nostalgia in me. Beautiful intense symphonies. Inspiring :)

How I missed this until now is beyond me. Love the sound, love the album, need more.

Stunning.

Wow - musical, haunting, catchy. Maybe I's realign some of my other ratings if I could but, since I can't, I'd give this 6 stars

This was a great listen.

Gefällt sehr gut! Angenehme Überraschung.

1000000/5 Sternen

I should give this another listen. Very cool grooves.

There's not a bad track on here. It's a 4.5 because of the aggressively 80's drum compression, but otherwise it's basically a perfect album so I'm giving it a 5 here.

This has always pulled me into a strange head space. Both beautiful and simultaneously macabre, the more I listen the stranger and more enjoyable it becomes. I'll admit, at times this album wears me down by the time I hit 'Cicely' or the moody 'Otterly', but as they say, patience will be it's reward as 'Domino' is a haunting and perfect close, that on this recent listen seems to callback previous songs. Yes, I am that listener who is seeking the "Mythology", but perhaps it really is dependent on the imagination of the listener.

En una primera escucha el álbum no me convenció mucho, pero luego de una segunda escucha entré en clima con la propuesta, sobre todo en la segunda mitad del álbum, donde hay propuestas más ambientales. El estilo de la voz me recordó a Kate Bush (aunque menos experimental por supuesto). La batería electrónica con tanta reverb se mezcla muy bien con el resto de los instrumentos. Las secciones ambientales me recordaron a películas de Bertrand Mandico... Son obras más actuales, pero me pregunto si habrá tomado elementos de esta banda. En fin excelente álbum, lo disfruté y me transportó a muchos lugares.

Dreamy

A truly bewitching, spellbinding experience

Det var på tiden med en riktig överraskning från ett band jag aldrig hört talas om. Gillade verkligen den här skivan redan från början och den växte dessutom för varje genomlyssning. Älskar den drömlika atmosfären och framförallt hur sången/stämmorna ”flyter runt”, överlappar och binds in i varandra. Rakt igenom vackert och denna kommer jag lyssna mycket mer på. Högsta betyg!

The girlfriend and I listened to it three times today, and then downloaded the entire cocktoe twins discography for her home computer

Every song is good. Love it.

Yes. But wow, 1984! A fairly unique one. Does one actyally opull out a Cocteau Twins album to listen to it? Maybe for painting to it. Or to watch rain from a Tokyo Slyscraper. Or to ease into sleep aftewr a long drive. Its atmospheric. Maybe my first listen to Cocteau Twins as an actual albums (check that I havent mindlessly reviewed another) , so I go in expectant - knowing like some of their best work. Floating on a lyrical tingling cloud on a Friday afternoon with these guys is pretty good one the album settles in, is great. Yes I skip 1 or 2 jarring acute/shrill/jangly moments. But the good is very good, dare I say "high production values" evident. I loved the finishing track. Huge. Play this loud and confuse the neighbours who wont be able to figure out where its coming from. Sounds like a quadrophonic polyphony (but doesnt overdo it like Enya).

Liz Fraser's voice is wonderful. This album is great - a five star, even though Heaven or Las Vegas is even better.

Ether.

Wonderful album from a great band.

Transcendental. Ethereal. Cocteau Twins have been a favorite discovery from this project. I hear their influence on other loved artists (Mazzy Star, Prince, the Weeknd, The Sugarcubes)

I thought I knew who the Cocteau Twins were. I thought they were a semi-obscure 80s band with a hit I loved. I was completely wrong. The first track has me knocked back with intrigue and enraptured. This is the most creative album I’ve heard in a long time. It sounds like it could be the soundtrack of my dreams. The lack of true lyrics really elevates the music to a realm all its own for me. Halfway through the album, and I already want to listen to it again. It’s scratching some insane itch I didn’t even know I had. I’m blown away. This album makes me want to dance forever. The album sounds like a precursor to Cirque du Soleil show soundtracks. I hear so much of bands I love in this album from The Cure to The Cranberries. It’s like a musical hug. THIS is why I took on the 1001 albums challenge: to discover depth and be moved musically.

Marvellous

This is my 2nd Cocteau Twins albums discovered through 1001, like the other I really enjoyed this and will be adding them to my regular rotations

Surreal ethereal piece of art

The first C Twins album on this list was from their later 'more straightforward' period on Fontana. This is perhaps the apex of their 4AD sound, adding a muscularity and thicker texture to the gossamer (compulsory CT word) soundscapes of the two next albums, and a more ethereal (2nd compulsory CT word) sound to the first two albums. In conclusion: the CT mk 1 sound in perfect balance.

this is an absolute vibe! loving it! persephone and pandora are standout tracks for me.

I never got into shoegaze barring one band (Silversun Pickups - one of a handful of 'buy unheard' groups left for me), but this release makes it more compelling than when it had its heyday. While I can appreciate it for what came after, though, I felt it relied on the aethereal voice modulation aspect more than on any actual song lyrics. Sure they're there but lyrically they seemed to focus on one type of vocal over the other, whereas Silversun Pickups has the lead lyrics and the aethereal vocals happening at the same time. That said, I put more of their discography on after I finished this album and there is quite a lot to like in there, and I feel secure in saying that one of my favorite bands wouldn't exist if they hadn't paved the way, so a 5-star from me.

Like it very much

Brilliant

I’ve been listening to this album pretty regularly for over thirty years now. There’s really nothing else like. It’s layered, reverby, dreamy, and of course the lyrics are incomprehensible. Is it my favorite album? No… you really have to be in the right headspace for it, but there is nothing else like it.

Treasure is one of the very few albums that I would use to describe as ethereal. When I tell you I have never in my whole life heard an album that sounds anything close to this one, it just sounds like it was made on a whole different planet. I've never really been too interested into listening to Cocteau Twins but oh my god are these guys amazing. I'll be honest although there are a few songs that I like less than others, there is no denying that they have the most unique sound and there has never been anything like them since. Their work is pretty much flawless. I would greatly consider this to be one of the greatest dream pop albums ever, just from how abstract it sounds. I absolutely love it when bands use the lead vocalist's voice as an instrument rather than having clear lyrics that match the vibe of the instrumental. Rather than focusing on lyrical meaning, they instead decide to go for a more abstract and emotional style, which for the most part is the wailing. Elizabeth Fraser's vocals go so incredibly hard throughout the entire album, and it gives the music a sort of uncanny and haunting sound, which just works so well with the pretty basic instrumental. The general focus is on the emotional impression rather than the narrative of the music, which works so well with the atmospheric instrumental. The instrumentals on Treasure might seem pretty stripped-down, but that’s honestly what makes them so effective. They assist in creating the dreamy and weightless atmosphere while gives Fraser's vocals to do its thing. The guitar is so heavily manipulated by reverb and delay, shifting the focus on creating texture in the music rather than taking a heavy influence in the album. The drums and bass are kinda just pulsing in the background and are just super understated throughout. When combined, it creates that dream-like state that is lowkey just a vibe to listen to. Everything just works so well together to build this weirdly beautiful, otherworldly soundscape.

Великая группа с лучшим названием на свете. Никто не делал и не делает дримпоп как они. И, конечно, сносящий крышу голос Элизабет Фрейзер. Вот факт: я произношу название этой группы как Кок--Те--А--У Твинз, что странно, но вот. Лучшая песня - Ivo.

Cool mix of goth/ethereal. I had only heard Heaven/LasVegas before this and this is just as good in a completely different way. I went and listened to their early stuff and it’s crazy how much of a step up this feels into their own sound compared to before with their obvious Siouxsie and the Banshees influence. Rating: 4.7

Skotlannin alternative rock -perhe alkoi kehittyä hiljalleen tämän eteerisen yhtyeen ansiosta. Välkehtivän sopraanolaulun siivittämä kolmosalbumi oli bändin siihen asti huikein täysosuma. Kypsä, yhtenäinen levy hurmaa mystisellä dream pop -leijailulla, joka rönsyilee folkin, keskiaikaisen tunnelman, shoegazen ja noise-henkisen kitararockin välimaastossa. Jylhät äänimaisemat kätkeytyvät ovelasti ohuen hunnun taakse, jolloin raskaus ja herkkyys korostuvat samanaikaisesti. Vaikuttavaa ja kaunista.

Could you repeat that

5 stars immediately. Fuck with this band so hard forever.

She coc on my teau till the twins I will treasure.

A perfect record. I remember when I first heard it I was so amazed by the guitar work. After relistening to it now I still am.

Know the name but not sure I’ve ever listened to any of their songs.. regardless, I’m super into the ethereal, shoegaze music like this. Definitely biased somewhat, but 4.5/5 for me, will definitely be exploring more of their music catalog

One of the best of the 80's

This was pretty decent! Never listened to these guys before, but I enjoyed it. Listened a couple times.

Some of the best dream pop you'll hear outside of Beach House. Solid 5 Stars.

You know what? I think I’m at a 5. The last time we got a Cocteau Twins album, I specifically wrote the following: “I just don’t know that I could personally give a 5 to an album with vocals, but without lyrics, simply because I’m a sucker for storytelling”. However, I think this album hits just the right type of vocal presence, where they’re used as an instrument and not as a guiding melody of each track, in a way that I can feel comfortable with giving this a 5. “Heaven or Las Vegas” structured its songs in a way that was more of an homage to the 80s as a whole, and it used its vocal presence in a way that felt more poppy & familiar – the vocals felt like they could have real lyrics to them, and it was nice to listen to, but felt sort of awkward for my ears. This album leans fully into the ethereal & the dreamy – a lot of this is Eno-esque white noise, with the vocals used to just sort of flow each moment into the next. There’s not many moments where you can feel a general chorus open up, and as such, it’s a lot easier to zone out and let the rest of the instrumentation take you where it goes. Really good instrumentation too – lots of great percussion & guitar melodies are here, and each track does have a good structure to it, so the vocals still feel important, even if they’re used differently. Much like the last Cocteau Twins album, I do think it’s hard to really find a way for me to analyze this any further other than just “it sounds really good”. It is, however, an improvement over my grand analysis from last time, which was “that sounded really good, but sometimes it didn’t” – there is not a single bad track here, only brief moments where it’s a little loud, or just a hint repetitive enough to get out of the zen state. It is on a lower end of the 5 scale, but I think it’s a 5 nonetheless – a really enjoyable 41 minutes, and if nothing else, fabulous studying music.

PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK!!!! cocteau twins my BELOVED!!!!!!

Music where you have no idea what they’re saying >>>

I'm a big fan of Cocteau Twins and shoegaze/dream pop in general. This album, IMO, is Cocteau Twins at their best. Atmospheric and interplanetary. Gorgeous layering, with a broad soundstage. Elizabeth Fraser's lyrics, for lack of a better word, tell you of life somewhere else. A beautiful, harmonic, and soothing escape from the mundane.

Oh I love this album. Wow. Third time (and being high) made everything click. Love the vocals, love the classic electronic drum sound, love the everything else in this album

No es un disco sencillo, de hecho puede llegar a sentirse bastante denso, pero desde la primera canción se nota el tremendo trabajo y genialidad escondida en su creación. Y no deja de crecer, cada canción se siente más envolvente y llena de misterios para descubrirle en cada escucha. Genial.

another band i really need to learn More About, but i remember most of this record surprisingly vividly from my spins years ago in the college dishroom. its difficult to isolate any One Part of cocteau twins music and what exactly its contributing besides the fact that the music would be emptier without it, it feels strangely and comfortingly inevitable in that way. fraser always sounds less like someone singing at u and more like a voice inside ur head, like ur remembering her rather than hearing her. compared to holv which im a lot more familiar with this is less anthemic and more esoteric...while not ofc being one bit less melodic, and the mysteries here are all inviting, like theres reason to believe there's benevolence behind them. kind of the best music ever lowkey

Adore this album. I don’t think it’s quite as ethereal as many would argue. Rather, I just think it’s elegant artsy pop, often with a great deal of propulsion to the programmed beat. Ms. Fraser’s timeless vocals always receive a lot of attention, and deservedly so, but there’s just so much here. The type of music that sounds like nobody before and everybody after.

Had this album on cassette tape in early 90s, with Heaven or Las Vegas on the flip side: both are timeless classics and two of the best pop albums made during 1980-90.

Still an amazing album. Dark and light at the same time. Cicely was, and still is, my favourite song.

I absolutely love a couple things about this album. 1. Our musicians are playing shoegaze before it was a thing. And they're doing an incredible job. 2. Our vocalist is spouting utter nonsense, but doing it so consistently with exquisite phrasing, that it has the form of lyrics without containing any linguistic content whatsoever. As a person who hears lyrics as music before I register that they're actually singing *words*, I consider the singing an amazing feat. If you were to grow music in a lab that was meant specifically for me, you couldn't do much better than the Cocteau Twins.

This one is a little hard to review as it’s a little unique to a degree. You’re kind of forced into just talking about how the vocals sound and the music itself, as lead vocalist Elizabeth Fraser sings in an entirely made up language. I’d love to say it’s a very daring choice to do so, but it seems to fit the music and production perfectly; adding an aura of total mystery to everything. It forces you to FEEL the music, while simultaneously adding to it. Her voice is dreamy, smooth, and ethereal as she hits high note after high note after high note with an unbelievably strong sense of melody and intensity. I was also surprised to learn, upon reading about this album, that the band aren’t very fond this release; regarding it as rushed and meaningless “arty-farty”. But at the same time they kind of admit defeat that people seem to like this album more than the others as it was their most successful. It really shows how sometimes there can be a pretty distinct disconnect between the audience and the artist. I myself am falling in line with the audience on this one. It may have been rushed, and it may not mean anything to the band. However, they have crafted a masterpiece here. Aside from the phenomenal vocals of Fraser, the music is just perfection. Gentle acoustic and electric guitars. Echo-y drums that feel far away adding to the ethereal, dream-like atmosphere. Bells ringing throughout each song. Subtle piano work. And just beautiful engineering all around. My personal highlights: ‘Ivo’, ‘Lorelei’, ‘Persephone’, ‘Amelia’, and ‘Domino’. I was very quick to add this to my list of LP’s I now want to physically own; and I think anyone and everyone should give this album a chance. Because while it means absolutely nothing to the band, they seemed to have accidentally stumbled into making just an absolute banger of a dream pop album. 5/5

Darker than their later stuff, but still with those same dreamy vibes I absolutely adore.

I can't think of another album with such a singular vibe than this one. The washed out distant vocals, the shimmering guitars, the childlike melodies, the unintelligible lyrics. Even the tracklist has a specific vibe, with every song have an uncommon person's name. I guess this must have been the moment when dream pop really began, and it sure sounds very dreamy and otherworldly. Key tracks: Ivo Lorelei Persephone Pandora (For Cindy) Amelia Domino

This is my second time listening to this album, and it absolutely fits the name Dream Pop. It’s dreamlike, ethereal, surreal, and abstract. This is definitely one of those albums you start from the beginning and just let it play all the way through. The whole thing feels like a journey, with each track seamlessly flowing into the next.

Liz Fraser's voice soars, and the guitar work from Guthrie remind us that he wasn't always a complete dick, or addicted to chorus pedals.

I've fallen in love with the Cocteau Twins since discovering them through this list. An excellent album with ethereal vibes.

As someone who’s a big fan of Heaven or Las Vegas, this is super cool to hear them essentially go inverse because of how rock/heavy and dark it feels. Sounds phenomenal but I still prefer the former to this one

one of my all time favorites blissful!

Wow, what an album. Where the sounds of light and darkness intertwine into an atmospheric soundscape. This will be going on repeat in the coming months.

10/10

Soundscapes alternating between dreamy and vaguely unsettling. The layered female vocals are largely unintelligible. Mechanical sounding programmed drums. And yet, the overall effect is organic and beautiful. Ivo and Lorelei are pretty, but Persephone is better; built around a dark, driving low end rhythm. Pandora and Aloysius are melodic again and uplifting. Strong closer in Donimo. Nothing else quite sounds like this. A treasure indeed.

Hadn't heard before, loved it.

I LOVE THIS ALBUMMMMM

Very fun

more like 4.5, love the cocteau twins already, but not as good as heaven or las vegas

Beautifully atmospheric, emotive and sweet

Treasure may just be my favorite Cocteau Twins album. I've commented on the tension I've often felt in listening to Cocteau Twins with respect to wanting them to unleash some aggressive riff or sonically crushing chord...to momentarily drop the ethereal charade and crush us with a burst of musical muscularity that they're hiding behind masses of restraint and reverb. Often some listeners with whom I've shared this feeling will cock their head to one side and look at me quizzically in a way that suggests there is little evidence in their opinion that Cocteau Twins posses this capacity. For them there is no aggression that is held at bay, but for me Treasure is a wonderful example of an album that when I turn up I can hear all the aspects of their sound that are absolutely massively muscular. The thing that I have learned over time is that with Cocteau Twins this aggression I apprehend will always be a subtext in the songwriting. And, in many ways that "threat" that I feel is a different, possibly more powerful feeling to elicit in a listener — all the better that with Cocteau Twins it is beautifully wrapped in their unique sound. Treasure indeed.

It's only the dreamiest music ever

Hauntingly beautiful. Shimmering, ethereal, gothic, shoegaze/dream pop masterpiece. 5/5

Unique and otherworldly.

Ethereal, dreamy, and mysterious. This is probably my favorite Cocteau Twins album. Everything is well thought out, from the one-word song titles to sequencing and visual art. I don't know how to put it into words, but these songs connect with my soul. They are pure yet lusty. There is nothing like this.

OMG! What a blast from the past. I absolutely love this album- 40 years old now. That makes me very very old ;-) Beautiful ethereal music- alternative rock and pre-shoegaze and post rock before those labels had been invented. One of the most special things to ever come out of Scotland.

The cloudy, dreamy blanket of sound is a great gag that I enjoy from all of my heart. I can't name the different songs or how they differ, and I don't care. I still love this.

Shoegazey dream pop at its finest.

Just gorgeous I adore the Cocteaus. That is all.

I love Cocteau Twins, they are probably my favorite shoegaze band (if you would call them that). I love the sound of this album it is so ethereal, the singing is perfect, and there is so many great effects. Ivo is a great song and a great opener. Lorelei is one of my favorite Cocteau Twins songs and I love the stuttered breathing thing she does in the chorus. Persephone has a great guitar part. Pandora is such a pretty song and I refuse to believe that the lyrics are in English. Easy 5

I absolutely loved this. So dreamy, ethereal, and totally enveloping, with great vocals and guitar hooks. I’m definitely going to have to explore this band further!

So good that I named a child after one of the songs.

Gorgeous. Knew about them never heard them - and it was a treat of a record.

Here’s what it says

This album is one of the most beautiful pieces of music i have ever heard

You have to be in the mood. I was.

The basis of all dreampop to follow - I love the fact that I listened to 40 minutes of blissful gibberish that Spotify refuses to attempt to transcribe into lyric sheets. And I loved it. Colour me an 80s kid.

Klang viel moderner als es ist

I really liked this one! Couldn't understand a single word of the lyrics but truly enjoyed the album.

Strangely haunting. Really enjoyed this one. How would I even go about finding it on my own?

god i love cocteau twins

It's a shame most people hear Heaven or Las Vegas first since it sets the standard so high for their other albums but there's something so fun about their one of a kind sound melding with more conventional songwriting devices that make this a super super fun listen for me :)

Superb. Ghost like dream scapes

You want to know what hides behind the subgenre 'dream pop'? Well, here you have it. 'Treasure' is the most well-known example of this genre that gave people of the late 80s and then 90s room to breathe in this new world why also highlighting the mysterious aspects of it. It is no wonder why songs of this album got often used in films (like 'Lorelei' in 'Mysterious Skin'). Listen to this!

10/10 Cocteau Twins has gotta be one of my favorite shoegaze bands

love

Treasure" is the third studio album by the Scottish dream pop band Cocteau Twins, released in 1984. It's widely regarded as one of the band's most iconic and influential works, representing a significant moment in the evolution of dream pop and alternative music. Musical Style and Atmosphere: "Treasure" is characterized by its ethereal and otherworldly sound. The band's signature elements are prominently featured, including Elizabeth Fraser's distinctive and enchanting vocals, Robin Guthrie's lush, reverb-soaked guitars, and Simon Raymonde's melodic basslines. The album is a showcase of the Cocteau Twins' ability to create an atmosphere that transports listeners to a dreamlike, transcendent realm. Lyrics and Themes: Cocteau Twins are known for their abstract and non-linear lyrics, and "Treasure" is no exception. Elizabeth Fraser's lyrics often feel like a form of glossolalia, focusing on the emotional impact of the sounds and phonetics rather than concrete meaning. This lyrical approach adds to the album's dreamlike quality, allowing the listener to interpret the songs in their own way. Standout Tracks: "Ivo": The album starts with this track, setting the tone for what's to come. The shimmering guitars, Fraser's enchanting vocals, and the hypnotic rhythm create a mesmerizing experience. "Persephone": This song is a perfect example of the band's ability to create aural landscapes. It's a sonic journey with hauntingly beautiful vocal melodies and intricate guitar work. "Lorelei": "Lorelei" is one of the album's highlights, with its catchy and memorable melody. Fraser's vocals are particularly captivating here. "Pandora (For Cindy)": A more experimental track, "Pandora" demonstrates the band's willingness to push the boundaries of their sound. It features intriguing vocal techniques and ethereal atmospheres. Production and Instrumentation: Robin Guthrie's production on "Treasure" is noteworthy. He uses heavy reverb and delay to create a spacious, otherworldly ambiance. The layering of sounds, from the intricate guitar work to the multiple vocal tracks, contributes to the album's rich, textured sound. The minimal use of traditional percussion instruments helps maintain the dreamy quality of the music. Influence and Legacy: "Treasure" has had a profound impact on the dream pop and shoegaze genres. Its unique and innovative approach to music has inspired countless artists. Bands like My Bloody Valentine, Sigur Rós, and Beach House owe a debt to Cocteau Twins and their pioneering work on this album. In conclusion, "Treasure" by Cocteau Twins is a masterpiece of dream pop and an essential album for anyone interested in ethereal, atmospheric, and emotionally evocative music. It remains a landmark in the band's discography and the dream pop genre as a whole. The album's dreamlike soundscapes and Elizabeth Fraser's unique vocals combine to create a truly magical listening experience that has left a lasting impact on the world of alternative and indie music.

Shoegazing tai shoegaze on vaihtoehtorockin tyylisuuntaus, joka kehittyi Isossa-Britanniassa 1980-luvun loppupuolella. Tyylisuunnan nimi viittaa esiintyjien usein poissaolevaan olemukseen ja soittajien efektipedaaleihinsa keskittymiseen. paska termi mutta insane albumi.. dreampop synthpop gossameresque type heat... 80-luku indie älkää koskaan, älkää koskaan sanotko että ei objektive... suoraa vitosta tästä KYLLÄ PYSTYY TEHÄ...jos hyvää musiikkia on...ei tässä mitään ennakkoluuloja pidetä heh... suurin osa vaan on paskaa... ei voi mitään... en kuullukkaan artistista, tälläsiä tarttee että motivaatio pysyy projektissa persephone

"Treasure" is the third studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins. This is the album where the band totally embraced their ethereal sound. I liked the genre descriptions of ethereal wave and dream pop. It's also the album where they locked in their core members of vocalist Elizabeth Fraser, guitarist Robin Guthrie and bassist Simon Raymonde. Commercially, it hit #29 in the UK and was critically well received. A strumming guitar and bass begin "Ivo." Fraser's heavenly voice comes in and then another Fraser voice enters and we get their signature layered vocals. A good song which gets better in the next song "Lorelei." No, not a Styx cover song. Bells ringing and guitar sounding like an ambulance. The main vocals are higher with the backing vocals lower. One of their best songs. "Persephone" has an electric drum beat and a rock, slashing guitar...very 80's post punk sounding. It's dramatic and hypnotic. Fraser almost screaming. "Amelia" is haunting. A melodic, dark guitar. A slower beat. We even get a guitar solo. The mix on "Aloysius" is louder and cleaner. A lighter guitar. A nice song. A church-like organ opens the closer "Donimo." There's a church sounding choir. The song picks up a beat and it's intensity increases. Maybe, Fraser's best song vocally. This is a very good album. Each song creates an atmosphere and is unique within a dreamy and chill framework. The guitar sets the tone. Fraser's layered vocals are an instrument in and of themselves. A high recommendation.

This is excellent, better than Heaven or Las Vegas which I’m a lot more familiar with. This is a one I can see myself listening to a lot more: it really nails that whole dream pop/shoe gaze sound, while still having lots of interesting things going on around it. Especially on Lorelei, Pandora, and Cicely. There’s a couple of tracks that didn’t do a lot for me, but even after a few more listens they started to grow (Otterley, Amelia). Would give this a 4.5 but gonna round up to a 5

One of the titans of dream pop. This album is simply gorgeous, psychedelic and warm while also evoking a sense of mystery and melancholy.

I don't know why, but this one really got me. With the other record on this list, I was somewhat impressed, but I think this one just plain did a better job at the attempted sound.

5/5. Beautiful and ethereal. Great dream pop. There is a driving sense to each song, making me feel like I'm walking toward an end goal only leave me hanging, wanting more. There is definitely some Latin American influence in some of these songs which they use to great effectiveness. Although it is sitting at a 4.5/5 for me, I'm bumping it up for the beautiful nature.

OMG ik hou echt van zo een muziek. Ik geef het een (zeer nipte) 5

Absolutely incredible artistry that is equally as haunting and beautiful as it is unique. I can feel this becoming a quick favorite. These songs push the boundaries of the common verse/chorus/verse song structure and are almost completely unintelligible, but still feel warm and inviting. I might be going out on a limb here, but I'm getting the same chilling and avant-garde vibes that bands like Pink Floyd created before and on the other side, bands like The Mars Volta carried over into the aughts. I'm sold. Man... I just love this project so much. As cheesy as it sounds, there is so much beautiful music to be discovered and this just made my whole damn week.

otherworldly, the sound of angels come to earth

cool

Imagine the nightmares this must have caused back in 1984. Who was ready for this?! Almost 40 years after its release Treasure still sounds completely otherworldly. An ethereal journey from start to finish. Glad this isn’t the only Cocteau Twins album on this list!

This is simple. It's one of the greatest albums of all time, in my opinion and to my ears. When my first child was born I gave my wife a list of Cocteau Twins songs to choose from and so "Lorelei" is her middle name. A sweeping, storming wall of sonic perfection. I have no idea what she is singing about but it doesn't matter. It's genius. 10/5

Nice psychedelic, ethereal sound

So dreamy. Strangely Ivo doesn't really capture me but once Lorelei kicks in I fall in love all over again.

Yuuuuuusssssssss! Beautiful! Let me full-on disassociate out of this world, leave my body, and drift through the halcyon swirls of Elizabeth Fraser's voice. Fave track - "Lorelei" is arresting, "Donimo" is a lovely sign off, but really this is a Whole Album kinda thing....

According to Elizabeth Frazer, what words sound like is more important than what they actually mean, which might explain why she uses non-words and foreign language words that she doesn’t know the meaning of in her songs. Looking up her lyrics on any of the wiki-lyric sites a good way to get your daily smile. I love the 4 songs that start with Lorelei – Pandora (for Cindy) being the standout, for me, but the Souxsie and the Banshees-like guitar in Persephone is great too. My co-judge says that this doesn’t sound dated at all and I agree. There has been a lot of dream pop/ethereal/shoe gaze/downtempo recorded over the 3+ decades since, but in 1984, this was pretty unique, and it still is.

Masterpiece

Such a nice overall vibe, nice production, lyrics, instrumental - Masterpiece.

I don't know how to describe this album but I enjoyed a lot the mysticism around all songs. Also, the voice in all the song are just part of the music, that's why the lyrics aren't too complex.

19/08/2022 Cocteau Twins – Treasure 4.5/5 Great surprise! I hadn’t heard about Cocteau Twins before, but their impact in dream pop and the influence they have accomplished in other musicians is quite clear after listening to this album. It has been like exploring the ancient foundation documents of an established civilization. I really liked the music of the band: the ethereal sounds, the experimentation with sound and singing, and the voice of the vocalist, Elizabeth Fraser (that I also discovered is the singer in “Song of the Siren” of The Mortal Coil); that is almost celestial. The only bad thing about the album, in my opinion, is the bad production and low quality of the sound of the tracks, so it is better enjoyed with headphones. Ivo – 5/5 Great guitars, great ambience, great voice. It creates a great atmosphere of mystery and etherealness. My favourite track of the album. Lorelei – 3.5/5 I’m surprised of how you can create such a complex sound landscape with so little production and not too many instruments. Still a bit dissonant in my opinion. Beatrix – 4/5 “Kate Bush meets Egypt” vibes. I really like how each song creates its own atmosphere, transferring you to different environments. Persephone – 4.5/5 A more “rockish” song, closer to what The Cranberries did in the 90’s. Elizabeth knows how to work with her voice in different contexts, giving different textures and sounds. Pandora (for Cindy) – 5/5 The mixture of different sounds the band creates in this song is perfect, not going anywhere too complicated. Again, a highlight for Elizabeth. Amelia – 3.5/5 This song doesn’t work for me as the others, but it is still good creating a different atmosphere. Aloysius – 4.5/5 Love the guitars in this song. Not any more to say, but I loved it. Cicely – 3/5 Probably my least liked song, but not because of its flaws, but because I don’t really connect with the ambience it creates. Otterley – 4/5 It sounds more like an interlude that anything else. But it accomplishes a very relaxing and evolving atmosphere, almost like you are underwater. Donimo – 4/5 Good ending track, and a great conclusion to the album.

Not really listened to the Cocteau Twins before - although Lorelei must have popped on Spotify as I'd liked it. This was a lovely album to listen to - really dreamy. Loved everything about it.

toma no teu cu felizali

Spooky shenanigans that undeniably slap.

??????

je fais une mega remontada dans mes reviews et il y a beaucoup d'albums qualitatifs ce qui présage un effrayant creux musical très bientôt

Still being copied by beach house to this day

This the Best album of shoegaze in all! Persephone - the fairest

Insane but really good

Awesome listen. Ethereal indeed.

Isn't it too dreamy?

Different than all the music I've ever heard. Not my style, but would enjoy listening to it once in a while

The dream

Their best imo.

!!!! this is so good can’t believe I’ve never listened to this album before. dreamy, soft, magical + feels really ahead of its time. this album really relaxed me and made me v happy :) also the songs had cool names too

magical pretty

Wonderful

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 ⭐️

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.

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

I was just listening to this last night...

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.

Enjoyable

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 acheived 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

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

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.

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.

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".

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

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

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.

Engaging

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).

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

So goddamn winsome.

las re amo, son como mis tias

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

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

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 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.

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.

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)

Good alt rock

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

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

Not my favourite Cocteau twins album but still great

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

Haunting and ethereal pop. Once I realized the lyrics were nonsense and it was more about the sounds and the vibe, I understood what they were doing and enjoyed it a lot more. The first two tracks Ivo and Lorelei are both fantastic but they're all pretty great. I had a hard time deciding between 4 and 5.

The sense of mystery and comfort that this album is able to evoke at the same time is unmatched. Cocteau Twins are already iconic for their dreamy and ethereal style, which this album makes an even bigger point of than usual, and it really comes through with all the super fuzzy textures that in some moments even make it hard to tell one instrument from the next. But despite all of that, they have still managed to make this so melodic and catchy, even with how much reverb in on just about every single track.

Its so beautiful Its not as good as heaven or las vegas but thats like saying the second best steely dan album isnt as good as aja, its true but its hard to beat perfection Highest of 4s

I was previously familiar with Cocteau Twins and their general sound but nothing from this album. It's a rock album but has their ethereal sound. I enjoyed this album quite a bit and would listen again for sure.

Lovely, ethereal, unique, melodic, airy, gorgeous. Reverb never had it so good.

I think I like this even more than Heaven or Las Vegas, which we already had. Favorites were 'Aloysius' and 'Pandora'.

Comfy, dreamy.

This music sounds exactly like being captured by faeries and being subjected to their deadly mischief...in winter. Fraser's vocals are borderline unintelligible but create such an ethereal and otherworldly vibe that even though she's singing in English, it really sounds like something completely alien to my ears. The way the guitars and bass and drums come together to create this swirling and icy and atmospheric haze of sound is mindbending. Outside of the pretty cavernous 80's production style, this sounds way ahead of it's time just in terms of creating soundscapes. A very intriguing and enrapturing album. I definitely feel like it could grow on me more, this is certainly an album that would require a specific mood or vibe to fully enjoy I feel.

Sounds kinda weird

Unlike everything I know so far. This just sounded otherworldly, but in a great way, in a "Why am I finding out about this now ?" way.

4.5

Really enjoyed, didn't realise the dreampoppy sound was around as early as 1984. I don't think it's as good as HOLV though

I was a little nervous that this wasn’t going to live up to heaven or Las Vegas but this is pretty much exactly what I was hoping for from another Cocteau twins album, and really makes me want to just go and listen to the rest of their albums. Just full of that weird dream like sound, accompanied by almost minion-esque lyrics that still manage to just work. Like if you genuinely told me the lead singer was a minion I’d just be like “yeah that tracks” Could easily see this being bumped up after I’ve listened a few more times 4.5

I've always been a sucker for dream pop or shoegaze music. When I got the 1001 Albums book years ago, this is one album I picked up because of that fondness for ethereal music. Now, this album isn't perfect...the production, with its big reverb-y drums, just doesn't quite sound right compared with later releases of a similar style. But if you can overlook that, this is a very lovely album that's pretty damn enjoyable.

Gothpretto och magiskt. Stark fyray

Great album. I couldn't pick out a song I would expect to be on the radio/a stand out single, but still gets a 4 from me.

I am bisased havnig been milk fed with the 4AD label's in the 80's. Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, Xymox, Bahaus, later teh Pixies and the Breeders... We were as much drawn by the beautiful Waughan Oliver graphic designs on record's sleeves than the unusual music. Etheral is the word that describe Cocteau Twins music and Lizz Frazer's voice. At the end the music itsef is so simple but it does paint an athmosphere.

Voice of an angel The sounds of past and future Drum machine kicks ass

despite hearing about cocteau twins before, i'd somehow never actually heard their music? but when i saw the wiki article for this album note that they approached brian eno to produce it and he turned them down saying they didnt need him, i knew i was in for a great listen. i wasn't really sure what to expect in terms of genre going into this but it turns out it's exactly my type of sounds. hazy and sludgy, with a gothic flavour but never fully submerging itself in it. kinda makes me think of how siouxsie and the banshees might've sounded if shoegaze had been invented a decade or so earlier than it was. i've always been a big fan of the use of vocal as instrument, so i love how it's shoved down into the mix here at times, sometimes even layered over itself. its unfortunate that the unintelligible lyrics make it kind of impossible to sing along to, but i respect it fully. the sound is so ethereal that it's kinda difficult to pick out which track is which (the largely non-descriptive track titles don't help), which leads to a lot of "oh shit, its *this* track!" moments while listening back. i wanna say my favourites are "persephone", "aloysius", "lorelei", and "donimo", which i particularly enjoy the drone-adjacent first two minutes of. i'd have trouble recalling their names if you asked me again in a couple hours though, i really liked this one. its a real good summer sound to me. i could veg out to this on a hot day no problem.

Cocteau Twins tracks get featured in my playlists pretty often but I've never given a full listen to this album. It would be a big effort to single out all the elements I like about it but I'll just sum it up with: this is very much my kinda shit. Droning. Dreamy. Evocative. Vocals and keys float above layers of primordial shoegaze guitar and thudding percussion. It's less sophisticated than Heaven or Las Vegas but imo that's to benefit. The first half is more varied than the second, but I enjoyed zoning out from Amelia onward to Domino's wakeup energy and guitar shift. Otterley is so atmospheric I instantly love it. Great album. I want to give it a 4.5/5 only because it can't beat Heaven or Las Vegas in my heart.

Didn’t speak to me as much as Heaven or Las Vegas but still a banger.

I had to listen to this several times in order for it to start growing on me, as the first listens felt a bit underwhelming when compared to "Heaven or Las Vegas", but with the last tries, it eventually started to really resonate with me. This album is astonishing beautiful and hypnotic. First there is Elizabeth's angelic, captivating and passionate voice and her lack of cohesive or real words that give her a mysterious and intriguing presence. Then there is the incredibly ethereal aesthetic created thanks to the heavy use of reverb in the instruments, which that makes the record sound incredibly immersive. When it comes to the emotions transmitted, the record has two sides: infectious euphoria, with songs like "Ivo", "Lorelei", "Pandora (For Cindy)" and "Aloysius"; and songs that are more mysterious and serious, like "Beatrix", "Persephone", "Amelia" and "Otterley". The only real critic I can give is that I don't think the mixing is the greatest when it comes to the instrumentation, as the voice I think sounds impeccably clear. The drums are also obviously programmed, something that wasn't as clear in their most popular release. This I think subtracts a bit to the magical essence. In general, I do not have problems with drum machines, but in this instance, such an artificial element doesn't really blend that well in this fantasy of a journey. Another negative point I can add is that the last bunch of tracks aren't as impactful and mesmerizing as the first ones, specially the songs "Cicely" and "Domino" with its long intro. In the end, this is a fantastic album. It is beautiful, immersive and super ethereal.

As I was listening to this I thought, "Is the singer singing in English?" Then I caught a few words and figured Cocteau Twins was just one of those bands where the lyrics blend into the mix. Then I kept listening and felt sure that she was singing in another language. Was it French? Or something else? It honestly felt like its own language. Well, turns out Elizabeth Fraser preferred to sing gibberish and just let her vocals be pure musical expression. Apparently, a few real words will slip in here and there, but mostly she's scatting and free associating. Incredible! The music feels like it's speaking its own language to. Cocteau Twins cast a unique spell. The music is ethereal but very dramatic. Almost reminds me of Kate Bush at times but more fluid. I had a great time with this. There wasn't necessarily one song that stood out to me, but there were plenty of moments that stopped me in my tracks. Beautiful and fascinating music.

I actually quite enjoyed this.

Not as good as heaven or las vegas

very unique

This is the Cocteau Twins that I like. Amazing bridge between a dark atmosphere and a dreamy, blissful sound. You can't make any sense of the vocals but that's not much of a problem. The vocals just sound so pretty over these overwhelmingly brautiful walls of sound.

This was actually kind of cool. Different in a good way. I dug the atmosphere of the album.

Favorite Track: Lorelei

4. Liebe die sehr. Das Album von 1990 is aber noch besser

This is good but also I imagine this is what having aphasia is like. Words are being said but they are not translating to meaning and its weirdly distracting to me! That said this sounds really ahead of its time with maybe some exceptions for specific sounds (that drum on persephone is very 80s). That said I think it comes together pretty well, and my only issues with it are that it sort of all blurs together after a while and that I generally am not a huge fan of this type of music. I really like the singing here, and wish only that I could understand it a bit more. The instrumentation on songs like Pandora, Aloysius and Lorelai are great but I found the last few tracks didn't hold up very well. That drum and Bass machine on Cicely is so distracting to me. This is a light 4 for me, but I could see a 5 from someone who likes this style of music a bit more then me.

Nie przepadam za shoegaze, ale tutaj ta senność, oniryczność i jakaś taka miękkość bardzo pasują. Dodatkowo sam wokal jest po prostu nieziemski. 7/10

7 / 10 - ätherisch, folky, rockig - interessante Akkordfolgen - nette Bassmelodien - sehr atmosphärisch, am besten komplett alleine in Ruhe hören Favs: - Ivo - Persephone

Never heard of this band, and it was a fun discovery. 80s Scottish rock band that has enough weirdness to it to interest me. Gets a little too dreamy at times, but otherwise was a fun listen. 4/5

Like the previous Cocteau Twins album from this list, Heaven Or Las Vegas, I liked the asemic lyrics, it's very freeing being able to listen to a song just as sounds and the voice as an instrument. Looking back, I slightly regret giving Heaven Or Las Vegas 4 stars because this album is a lot more enjoyable for me, but not at a 5-star level. So yes, more trippy pop, better than Heaven Or Las Vegas, very good stuff. I'm surprised this was released as early as 1984, it honestly sounds a decade ahead of its time.

Sensational album. So beautifully atmospheric. Needed a few listens, and even then I just discovered something new each time.

first listen dweamy

This album is indeed a treasure. Elizabeth Fraser channels her inner Kate Bush. Persephone has crazy industrial almost trip hop vibes. It’s like The Cure and Portishead had a baby. Way ahead of its time. Not as good as Heaven or Las Vegas, but not that far off. Fave Tracks: Ivo, Lorelei, Persephone, Pandora (For Cindy), Aloysius 4.3/5

4.1 doing this in 1984 is just insane. faves: aloysius, persephone

I think I could really get into this.

More experimental than I expected having only heard Heaven or Las Vegas. Some of the songs feel like sketches, but the ones that are more fully fleshed out are very interesting.

I don't know if I've gained an appreciation for Cocteau Twins somewhere down the line, or if it's just this album, but the vocals aren't as intolerable as I remember them being on this album. Maybe I'm finally understanding this band after a year of occasionally listening to them and being like "yeah, they're fine, I guess." Lots of interesting songs with a really nice atmosphere. Now I just need that bumper sticker that says "stop honking, I'm trying to figure out what Cocteau Twins are saying."

Weird as hell. Yet haunting and beautiful at the same time 4 ⭐️

Does anyone have a lyric sheet?

The only treasure in music is Houmous & Chutney. 4.3 3/10 Beatrix

Nice dream pop album, easy to listen to sound despite the fact I didn’t understand a word that was said the entire record.

Lovely

Kinda weird! Kinda different, I'm here for it. A bit of Kate Bush vibes, nice background tunes for work.

I like a little goth-y album. Nice to have something a little fresh and different on this list

I'm never listening to this again probably but I appreciate the artistry so much. Faves: Donimo

Glorious, glorious ethereal nonsense. What is Elizabeth Fraser singing? Nobody has ever figured that out!!!!

I really like this album but it is definitely missing something that Heaven or Las Vegas had. Even Blue Bell Knoll is a little better to me. I think it could explore so many more ideas than it actually does. However, what it does do is so interesting and unique that I think my hesitancy on this album is more about missed potential than a critique of anything on the album itself.

This was pretty cool! Ethereal, spacy rock with jangly guitars. There's a theatrical edge to this music, and the album almost feels like an extended suite.

Really enjoyed this album, enough to explore some of the artists' other work.

Pleasant surprise.

So pleasant and ethereal.

This album had that real original magic. They just wholly sound original. Nothing I’ve ever heard really sounds like this, this album won me over so much that I did a short little dive into their other work and albums. Which to be fair I probably shouldn’t have done, because had I not done that I wouldn’t have realized that this is their 2nd best album. Doesn’t hurt the album or take away from it, but it take some of the magic from this album away and put it in the Las Vegas album (which is by far their best album). That being said I really liked how this album didn’t sound optimistic or happy but also didn’t feel dramatically depressing or upsetting. It was kinda relaxing for being alittle somber and moody. Seriously go check this out I can’t do more to sell it for you but it’s definitely worth your time!

Honestly, better than I thought it would be. Steady bops with variety. Their reputation in my mind was meme-ish but now I get it.

8/10

This album is the definition of Shoegaze. Which isn't a bad thing. I liked this album quite a bit. 3.5/5

Great voice, sounds, atmosphere. One of the (many) great scottish bands.

i liked this, was a bit darker and moodier than their other works

I feel like I understand Shoegaze so much better now. I live in a city where Shoegaze has really infatuated the youth at the moment, and now that I have heard this, I feel youthful again.

Gran álbum psicodélico, me gustó la vibra

Although I’d only heard of the Cocteau Twins from their last album on this list, 'Treasure' was a far superior encounter. It feels like the fraternal twin of The Cure’s 'Disintegration' in ways I can’t fully articulate: a dark, melodic journey made for a dream-like drive at night. Balancing Gothic rock and ethereal pop, the album weaves a hauntingly beautiful tapestry that’s strange, magical, and utterly mesmerizing—I enjoyed every minute of it.

Washes over one

I admit, I’ve only ever listened to Heaven or Las Vegas. I really enjoyed the album. And when it was over Spotify just keep playing other albums. So I can firmly say I like this album and I like this band.

Quite pleasing 4/5

Two Cocteau Twins in three days! Mr Project, with these dream pops you're really spoiling us. This one doesn't quite have the intensity of wonder that Heaven or Las Vegas does, but that's not to say it isn't still a really excellent piece of synth-led, shoegazey loveliness.

I really enjoyed this album. The music has an ethereal, dreamy sound to it and it was definitely a vibe. Elizabeth Fraser's voice compliments the instrumentals really well. The album also does a good job exploring different sounds, while keeping the overall theme/sound in the same world. There is a cohesive thread of sonics for all the songs, but each song sounds different and refreshing. She has amazing control of her voice with performances where she is singing in a light and airy way, songs where she is belting and showing off her power and songs that are in the middle where she just showcases beautiful singing. This album has got me curious to check out more!

This is fairy-like and dark and I loved it

So good, definitely a little ore abstract than some of their other albums but god damn they just write the best melodies ever.

Dreamy and ethereal jam! I adore this album, it is damn near perfect. Can’t believe it came out in 1984, such a beautiful piece 🫶

Quite liked this one. Something different than what I usually listen to, but even then, it's a great album. 7.5 / 10

If you look for the word "ethereal" in a dictionary, it starts playing this record. An almost perfect album.

Wait why is this good

this one was super cool, very ethereal sounds. Great way to end my day at work.

Maybe 3.5. Really interesting music

Unique sound for its time and still a good listen.

Excellent album but is it a 5?

Cocteau Twins are a pleasant listen. The music just drifts unassumingly over you. The shoegaze, wallflower in the corner. Not their best album - would rather have picked Heaven or Las Vegas.

This was a really strange listen but I overall enjoyed it. 4 stars is my guess on this album since I went back to revisit it and went on to explore other Cocteau Twins albums

Not a 5 for me, and lots of me wants to put it in the middle as a 3, but something pushed it to a 4.

Whilst I wasn’t listened to this album I have been listening to a lot of the Cocteau’s “Heaven or Las Vegas” again in the last few weeks. Heaven was the first Cocteau Twins album I brought and is still probably my favourite of theirs. Treasure is a lovely album, and really enjoyed listening to it again.

I just can't help but love Elizabeth Fraser's voice. This album is pretty cool, and something that stood out in that era for sure.

didn't understand a single thing, but that's the same when it comes to songs in languages i don't understand and i still enjoy those as well moral of the story: vibes are the only thing that matter in life also that bell curve in the ratings is any statistician's wet dream, i haven't seen one so perfect thus far so i had to point it out

Fragile glassy shimmering surfaces with ethereal vocals. Hazy atmosphere pierced by bright clean guitars, propped up, sometimes, by a Cure sounding bassline. It’s so consistent in tone, timbre, pace and style that one track is rarely distinct from the next. It feels unstructured, like the parts never cohere properly into something recognizably a song. But it sets a mood, anxious reflexivity, dreamy nostalgia, stoned longing.

Atmospherically a masterpiece. Some songs just put you in a trance where you can close your eyes and bop your head. Some songs I found rather boring but that's the minority, and even those I would not necessarily mind listening to.

Not my favorite of theirs but still great

first listen I gave it a 3. Second I really liked it. I've always like the CTs.

Ethereal as all get out

Dream pop is absolutely the right descriptor here. The whole thing feels like floating down a dark river. The vocals provide such texture to the songs. Favorite songs were Ivo, Lorelei, Persephone, Aloysius, and Donimo.