Home / Series / New British Canon / Aired Order / Season 2020 / Episode 10

The Dreampop Enigma of Cocteau Twins & LORELEI

If you were an indie kid in Britain in the 1980s, there were three main bands. The Smiths, obviously, with Morrissey’s Wildian wit and Johnny Marr’s iconic jangle. New Order, of course, continuing the legacy of Joy Division into more electronic and dance-able territory. And last but not least were the Cocteau Twins. A singular band infused with the swirling effects-assisted guitar textures of Robin Guthrie and the swooning ethereal croon of Elizabeth Fraser. Through their nine-album career, they produced some of the most beautifully haunted music in British alternative including "Wax and Wane", "Sugar Hiccup", "Pearly Dewdrops Drops", "Carolyn's Finger", "Iceblink Luck" and "Cherry-coloured Funk", not to mention their work with This Mortal Coil on "Song to the Siren". But one song amid the chiming splendour of 1984’s Treasure stands out as their key moment, the perfect sum of their dream-pop parts. This is New British Canon and this is the story of “Lorelei”.

English
  • Originally Aired August 21, 2020
  • Runtime 20 minutes
  • Content Rating Great Britain U
  • Network YouTube
  • Created April 10, 2024 by
    Zefrem23
  • Modified April 10, 2024 by
    Zefrem23