Blood Bath/Bitch.

Cocteau Twins get all their praise for Heaven or Las Vegas most of the time, while this debut album, Garlands, remains unnoticed and even ignored. The time when it came out, UK critics described CT as "another Siouxsie copy band". Fun fact, Elizabeth Fraser (vocals) was/is a big fan of Siouxsie.

But this comparison is inappropriate. Cocteau Twins' debut is a heavy drum-machine, combined with noisy guitars, the real wall of sound even before the term shoegaze was even invented. The album's key ingredients are darkness, repetitiveness and, of course, the instrumental arrangements, and not only the roaring guitars of Robin Guthrie, but also Elizabeth Fraser's ethereal voice. Her haunting and shivering vocals is intimidating, the lyrics is inaudible (CT's unique feature throughout their whole career), which definitely brings something otherworldly to the table as well. Also, this album has the one-time member Will Heggie in the bass section, and he totally kills it on the album, just the way it should be when you're listening to a post-punk album.

Despite album's repetitiveness, Garlands still is a pretty versatile and interesting listen with a place for diversity. It has the bass-driven opener Blood Bitch, which is followed by the iconic goth piece Wax and Wane (later covered by Deftones). The second leg of the album opens the slowly progressing Shallow Then Halo, a standout piece, where all the instruments find their perfect harmony, the minimal rhythm section layered along with the noisiest guitar and shaking and trembling vocals, everything leading to the staggering culmination at the end of it. Even though the album's closer isn't its strongest point, the pre-closer title track is another essential piece which showcases the more upbeat yet still balanced harmony of the arrangements with catchy bassline and lyrics (even though still inaudible).

Garlands is a standout effort off the solid catalogue of Cocteau Twins which should not be disregarded. This album is the essential post-punk and gothic rock with all the key elements that CT has ever put out in their other, more acclaimed works. To me personally this album has an unmatched vibe that cannot be compared to any other album, not even one of CT's. In brief, a brilliant debut.

Key tracks: Blood Bitch, Wax and Wane, Shallow Then Halo, Garlands.
Elizabeth Fraser, Robin Guthrie, Will Heggie
1982 4AD