A SCENE IN RETROSPECT: Cocteau Twins – “Treasure”

‘I was late to the dream pop party, even if this album is a year older than me.‘

Release date: November 12, 1984 | 4AD | Facebook | Instagram | Website

For our last A Scene In Retrospect of 2024, I thought we might as well cater to vibes instead of temporal accuracy. What music to better illustrate that weird liminal feeling days carry when the end of the year is approaching than the eerily comforting dream pop of early Cocteau Twins? 1984’s Treasure may not be their favorite creation, but you know what they say: one band’s trash is another listener’s Treasure. Or something. Look, I’m not a philosopher.

Cocteau Twins’ Treasure is exactly what its title defines. The band’s third studio album, released under 4AD’s labeling, gave us what would be their most primary line-up. Not to mention, this was where the band established what was essentially their trademarked, ‘ethereal’ sound that has been a significant piece of their identity. Treasure would, no doubt, become a historic piece in the band’s discography that served as a catalyst for the Cocteau Twins we know and love today.

Songs such as “Pandora (for Cindy)”, “Amelia”, and “Beatrix” feel almost like love letters. Elizabeth Fraser’s titling of most songs seem like they could be naming characters, historical figures, or otherwise individuals possibly near and dear to the singer, but regardless of who these tracks are directed at, the dreamy, textured, often synth-driven instrumentation haze the listener into a trance instantaneously. It’s hard to listen to any of the above or anything else found on the album and not feel a mix of comfort and somber feelings from how mystifying each song’s atmosphere is. Well-received by virtually any listener and considered among one of their best, this album absolutely was a passion project for the group.

Sadly disbanded, I think Cocteau Twins are a band that, for me and many others, served as a sort of gateway to other artists in a similar vein. If nothing else, there’s a fair level of inspiration to be found from something as whimsical and honest as the straight-from-the-heart lyricism and compositional quality this band seemed to put into each of their efforts; so much so that even Brian Eno, when asked to do production work for this record in particular, said ‘they don’t need me’, more or less. Cocteau Twins continue to be a monument of what kind of power you can harness with emotions and expressing them artistically.

Cocteau Twins were introduced to me shortly after I heard Pixies as part of an exploration of that label. I heard Dead Can Dance, This Mortal Coil, and Treasure by Cocteau Twins in relatively short order. At the time, none of those bands really appealed to me, but I understood there was something there, a reason for their notoriety and acclaim. So, I kept Treasure around, somewhere rattling around the cobwebbed attic of my brain, collecting dust with other memories that deserve a revisit.

So, it wasn’t until the last 3 years or so, as my interest in diving into goth music beyond the ‘post-punk’ label brought me back to each of these artists, but in particular Cocteau Twins. Their album Heaven Or Las Vegas, more dream pop and shoegaze in its sound, quickly became a favorite. It made me think that the times I heard Treasure over the years, I must have missed this atmospheric side of the band.

Treasure feels like the first album you should show someone interested in 4AD’s early days. It fuses goth, alternative, early shoegaze, and world music in this gauzy, dream tinged aura. The mysteries are heightened with Elizabeth Frazer’s multi-lingual (sometimes gibberish) vocals that lilt, coo, and chant their way through Treasure and are one of the most distinguishing features of Cocteau Twins. Take “Pandora (For Cindy),” for example, one of my favorite tracks on the album. This song twinkles with reverb laden guitars and drums, a bassline that Peter Hook could have written, distant synth pads swelling, and Frazer’s wry and airy voice propelling the track to spooky-kid dream pop highs.

Frazer’s unique vocal approach renders the lyrics as inconsequential, letting the melody take the foreground, no near rhymes or overly syllabic words forced into lines for meaning, just the joy of singing and a wealth of hooks. Opener “Ivo” is relentlessly infectious. “Lorelei” even became something of a hit with it’s Christmas bell charm, drum-machine rhythm, bouncy pulse, and sweet vocals. Songs like “Beatrix” and “Persephone” stay in tune with more traditional goth sounds, channeling Joy Division and Siouxsie And The Banshees.

Notoriously, Cocteau Twins consider Treasure to be an ‘underdeveloped’ record. Despite what could have been, Treasure is likely the most highly regarded album of their discography, and its influence has crossed this 30-year ocean of time to continue to inspire artists like Mo Dotti, deary, Men I Trust, and even Grimes’s album Visions. As such, I am a little ashamed it took me so long to recognize the intricate and lush rewards Treasure has to offer. I was late to the dream pop party, even if this album is a year older than me.

Better late than never, I suppose, and the cool thing about diving into older music and artists when you’re ready to hear them is that feeling of unlocking a new level in a video game. Dream pop and shoegaze have been among my favorite side-quests recently, and as the revival trend continues, Cocteau Twins are bound to be getting a lot of love from new listeners. As much as I pay attention to new releases, there are endless treasures to be found by exploring the past.