The 100 greatest British albums". The Observer. London. Archived from the original on 8 April 2016 . Retrieved 3 January 2013.

Cocteau Twins – Heaven Or Las Vegas [2003 reissue]". Redsun Records (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 8 August 2017 . Retrieved 8 August 2017. On the other hand, its general dismissal by critics and fans as a lesser Cocteau Twins album may have less to do with the album itself and more to do with the fact that it is bookended by better and more ecstatically creative works. There are moments of disarming beauty on Blue Bell Knoll—the melting keyboards on “ Cico Buff”, the lush vocal layering of “ Athol-Brose”, the shooting-stars opening of “ A Kissed Out Red Floatboat”, Raymonde’s syncopated bass trudge of “ The Itchy Glowblo Blow”, the whatever that is at the end of “ Spooning Good Singing Gum” (I think it might be a herd of lovelorn goats playing saxophones). But the standout is “ Carolyn’s Fingers”, which would become the Cocteau Twins’ first American single. The band never utilized its rhythm section to better effect: Against Guthrie’s crisp guitar line, that churning momentum pushes Fraser’s vocals to greater and greater heights, her unexpected swoops and eloquently rolled consonants creating a bewildering indie-pop aria. I don't think the Cocteaus used synths on those early albums. Guitar effects pedals and such, yes, but not synths. Victorialand uses no drum machine at all, because there are no "drum" sounds on the record period. a b Lindsay, Cam (10 July 2015). "An Essential Guide to Cocteau Twins". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 12 June 2015 . Retrieved 8 August 2017. Albums to Hear Before you Die: Artists beginning with C". The Guardian. London. 19 November 2007. Archived from the original on 30 September 2013 . Retrieved 3 January 2013.Martin, Aston (2013). Facing the Other Way: The Story of 4AD. London: HarperCollins Publishers Limited. ISBN 978-0007489619. OCLC 853505613. The 30 Best Dream Pop Albums". Pitchfork. 16 April 2018. p.3. Archived from the original on 24 April 2018 . Retrieved 24 April 2018.

Victorialand is a beautiful album and far from poor. Sure it works to a slower pace than its predeccesors and could be accused of being slightly one dimensional but it sounds so spare and lovely. Simon Raymonde's return for Blue Bell Knoll gave them fresh impetus and their finest album but there was some great releases around those records. The Echoes In a Shallow Bay/Tiny Dynamine ep's (which you can get coupled on one cd making them effectively an album between Treasure and Victorialand) are superb. Also the single between Victorialand and Blue Bell Knoll, Love's Easy Tears/Those Eyes That Mouth is brilliant. a b c d e Aston, Martin. "Searching for Heaven". 4AD. Archived from the original on 14 December 2015 . Retrieved 8 August 2017. recently reissued these two excellent albums by the Cocteau Twins on vinyl and in a way it feels like the timing could not be more pertinent. The band's influence is evident everywhere from the keyboard-drenched power-pop of recent Beach House to the fizzing rhythmic synth-gaze of The Horrors' latest. They'll even be touched on in the eagerly anticipated shoegaze documentary Beautiful Noise later this year. Yet it's almost impossible even now to view the band as nothing other than an idiosyncratic unit inhabiting only their own self-made soundworld. No artist has been able or even attempted to mimic their style; resting on Elizabeth Frazer's seemingly wordless, melismatic vocals and guitarist Robin Guthrie's maximalist approach to effects including flange, phase, chorus and delay that give the impression of an enhanced depth. EDIT: I still stand by much of what I've written above, but this does sound way better through some headphones rather than speakers in my experience. The album master on vinyl is very bassy and sounds bloated on my stereo system, but through some nice bright headphones, it's manageable. If you're dead set on getting a quality copy of this album, go for the original pressing or even the CD. Lorusso, Marissa (24 July 2017). "The 150 Greatest Albums Made By Women". NPR. Archived from the original on 25 July 2017 . Retrieved 4 August 2017.Bambarger, Bradley (6 April 1996). "Radio Climate Could Boost Capitol's Cocteau Twins". Billboard. Vol.104, no.14. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p.14. ISSN 0006-2510 . Retrieved 4 August 2017.