cocteau twins
News: Legendary artist Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins) announced new solo EP ‘Mockingbird Love’ and unveils deliciously shimmering instrumental single ‘My Courtesan’
For aficionados of shoegaze and dream pop and indeed any serious lover of music, Robin Guthrie needs no introduction. Driving force behind the iconic Cocteau Twins of course, Guthrie has continued to make a significant contribution to the industry, having formed Violet Indiana with Siobhan de Maré (formerly of Mono) and has since focused on …
Meet: We put dream pop maestros Heligoland under the microscope and review their shimmering new album This Quiet Fire
Heligoland began life in Melbourne before adventurously packing up and moving to Paris, where they have produced a series of stunning albums and EPs with the production skills of Cocteau Twins luminary Robyn Guthrie adding a certain lustre. Their new album, ‘This Quiet Fire’, has all the hallmarks of classic dream pop music that bears …
Track: Heligoland triumphantly return with dreamy new track ‘Palomino’ and announce album ‘This Quiet Fire’
It’s been three years since the magnificent Heligoland released the divine EP ‘Coriallo’, a swooning collection of ambient dream pop tracks mixed and produced by the legendary Robyn Guthrie (Cocteau Twins) (read my review here). There is no better way to begin the new year than with the release of a new track and news …
TOP TEN: Fair Mothers’ Kevin Allan picks the albums that made the difference
Aberdeenshire’s Kevin Allan releases his second LP of this most universally fraught year today, August 7th. Valentine’s Day brought us ‘Separate Lives’, which was necessarily championed by Stuart Maconie on his 6Music Freakzone. ‘In Monochrome’ is an absolute stunner, we find. Raw, chilled, unblinking in the face of life, Kevin makes promises no answers. But what he does do is communicate with you, proffer you emotional information; learn alongside him. ‘In Monochrome’ is unflinching and visionary; it’s one of the essential albums of 2020, sayeth us here at BSM.
Track: Like Elephants – Coastal Drive
Austrian group Like Elephants have released a gorgeous single called ‘Coastal Drive’ – inspired by a cold, isolated seaside environment which can be felt in the Arctic tones and dreamlike reverie of the song. A melodic thundering bass provides a foundation to layered vocals and chiming guitars – it is an ethereal, vaulting song that …
Album Review: Ummagma – Compass
Any preconception about Ummagma being easily slotted into a dream/pop shoegaze label was put on notice with the release of their single ‘Caravan’ earlier this year and has certainly been dispelled for good with their new album ‘Compass’ being released on 26 July. Opening track, ‘Rolling’ has the wide-eyed exuberance of anything released by Pharrel …
Track: Luvia – For You
With an extraordinary voice that ranges across styles from Elizabeth Fraser from The Cocteau Twins to Mazzy Star vocalist Hope Sandoval, Brighton’s Luvia‘s new track ‘For You’ is a gorgeous, sparse and haunting song filled with reverb and shimmering guitar. The instrumentation is deceptively simple – layers of sound hide behind the delicate guitar providing …
Track: Polychrome – Final Kiss
London’s Polychrome have released an absolutely gorgeous single, ‘Final Kiss’ off their forthcoming sel-titled debut album. ‘Final Kiss’ is lush, dreamy electro pop at its best: layered synths, insistent riffs, crisp production and soft, breathy, enigmatic vocals that would perfectly accompany a Nicolas Winding Refn movie. It is a mesmerising, intoxicating sound full of melancholy …
Track/EP: Heligoland – Coriallo
Heligoland‘s new EP, “Coriallo” is a gorgeous, atmospheric landscape of sound, evocative, maybe, of the windswept north-western coast of Normandy where it was written and recorded. The input of Robyn Guthrie (Cocteau Twins) as producer and mixer gives you that thrill of anticipation before you even begin to listen to this delicate and beautiful release. …