I was introduced to Cocteau Twins years ago through an ex-bandmate who used to play me a lot of their stuff. I was introduced to Garlands in particular through a DJ friend who put the song below on a mixtape he made for me. (And by mixtape, I do mean an actual cassette.) I was instantly a fan.
What struck my about 'Shallow than Halo' (and, in turn the entire 'Garlands' album) on first listen was the cold, dark atmosphere. It was a particularly bitter October, the nights were fast drawing in and I was entangled in a messy and utterly fruitless "relationship" that was going absolutely nowhere. I suppose all of these factors culminated in 'Garlands' having the effect it had on me, but either way, I was hooked, and once again, music proved to be a timely saviour.
As much as I enjoy Cocteau Twins' work, for me, nothing they have done has surpassed this debut or sounded anywhere near as dark. The word 'gothic' has been tossed around so much that it is now a cliche bereft of meaning, but this truly is a gothic album, and a stone cold classic to boot.
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