Heaven or Las Vegas

𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘓𝘢𝘴 𝘝𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘴 feels like the provisional peak of the dream pop/shoegaze scene — though the towering classics that would follow soon after might overshadow it, this record still radiates timeless beauty. Liz Fraser’s voice is so otherworldly she could sing a cookbook or a gardening manual and it would still sound transcendent; on photos she may look unassuming, but here she’s simply luminous. Robin Guthrie’s shoegazey, dreampoppy guitar textures complete the spell, making this one of the genre’s most enchanting records.

Oh man, my excitement when this record popped up. Never listened to this album or the Cocteau Twins before, but knew a little bit about them. Dream pop, shoegaze before shoegaze became a thing.

The second her vocals popped up in Cherry-coloured Funk, I knew this was going to be an easy five. It's got a strong ethereal vibe without sacrificing a driving force. I feel like a lot of dream pop (and shoegaze) can get lost in it's own vibes a lot and meander, but this album is laser focused with purpose.

But yeah, her vocals are the high point in an album that is nothing but high points. Strong, confident, ethereal. Add in half the time I can't tell if she's singing English, let alone any language at all and it gives a beautiful, detached, alien feel that puts the dream in dream pop.

Love the goth rock/post-punk elements too. The bass feels straight out of New Order or The Cure, and I love it.

Overall, extremely easy five stars. Knew basically the second I put the record on and the first couple notes hit. Incredible.

Enjoyable.

Pretty nice dream pop

High 4/5

It's one of those where you have to be in the mood to enjoy it, but when you are in the mood, man is it fucking good. High 3

The beginning of this album felt like walking into the middle of a set, so I’m not surprised to read that this was their 6th album. This probably feels great for established fans, but a little disorienting for new listeners.
Overall, this is an easy listen. It isn’t really my thing, but I can appreciate its place in time and the influence it must have had on later UK pop-rock artists.

I was on the fence about the first Cocteau Twins album I got (Treasure), and when I saw that one of the tracks on this is called Frou-Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires, I was expecting it to double down on the irritating aspects of that album. Instead, I liked it - I thought it was still atmospheric but had stronger tunes and was less cloying.

I've never quite settled on an opinion on dream pop, but I've heard some songs from this, and I was pretty confident I would like, but not necessarily love it. However, Cocteau Twins proved me wrong. From the start, the sound of this hooked me, Heaven Or Las Vegas sounds glassy and almost futuristic. It just has a kind of ethereal sheen that I liked a lot more than I thought. Although what I really ended up staying for here is the songs. I had a slow, creeping realization that song after song, Cocteau Twins were sticking the landing. The worst songs on here are engaging and catchy, and the best are really genre defining. The bow on the whole thing is that we end with one of the stronger songs, Frou-Frou Foxes In Midsummer Fires. One other thing I'd like to mention is that the vocals and "lyrics" here are fascinating. The vocals are *very* ethereal, to the extent that almost no lyrics are comprehensible, and in fact, the lyrics aren't published anywhere (again as far as I know). This frames Elizabeth Fraser's voice as an instrument in a way that I usually see in more extreme genres of music with less conventionally sung vocals. Hearing something like this in a context like dreampop achieves a really interesting effect. I really don't have more to say, I was shocked by how much I loved this.

Took a decade to warm to this but I've matured and can admit it's delightful.

I saying that, there better not be any more Cocteau Twins albums on this list. Two is already one too many.

A pretty pleasant shoegazy ambient pop album. Not anything that holds a candle to Loveless but nice while it's on. 2.5/5 - > 3/5

I've only vaguely heard of them before, and I wasn't expecting a lady singer! Dream pop is a good name for what this is. I like it. Not very exciting, which is what I want right now. A nice short album, too. Good.

Highlights: 'Cherry-Coloured Funk', 'Fotzepolitic'

This was a summer, chill vibe, could easily see it coming out in the 2010s and being relevant as ever. 5*

I started listening to Cocteau Twins this past year, including "Iceblink Luck" off this album. They were a Scottish group formed by guitarist Robin Guthrie and bassist Will Heggie. They started as gothic rock but developed their sound over time and became one of the purveyors of dream pop, a mix of alternative rock and neo-psychedelia that placed equal emphasis on atmosphere, sonic texture, and pop melody. This style was well-exemplified in their sixth album, Heaven or Las Vegas.

This album felt like putting on a warm blanket, covered in the reverbed bass and drum machine, Robin's guitar hooks coated in ethereal effects, and Elizabeth Fraser's pillowy soprano vocals. The atmosphere never felt overwhelming; rather, there was a purpose to the swell.

As for the lyrical content, while Elizabeth's words came off as more impenetrable, there is an emotional arc that she and the band went through. Towards the beginning, Elizabeth expressed her joy in giving birth and welcoming her first child Lucy Belle, particularly on "Pitch the Baby", and there is this celebration of life that is explored. That celebration starts to simmer as Elizabeth reflected on her tenuous relationship with Robin as her partner, particularly on a track like "I Wear Your Ring" where she is taking the role of mother for this child seriously and expected more involvement from him in childcare. The tone of the album grows darker from there, culminating in the closer "Frou-Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires", where bassist Simon Reymonde contemplated his father's passing. The transition of themes from birth to death seemed straightforward and well-executed.

Heaven or Las Vegas is an amazing offering that showcases the dreamy ambience that Cocteau Twins delivered.

Very dreamy music. The tunes are decent, but it's not entirely up my alley.

"Poppy" without being obnoxious, this album has a moodiness that bridges its goth forebears like Siouxsie and the Banshees and tThe CUre with - and I could be wrong about this - a new-wave influenced britpop. Vocals stand out, everything supports the song, high level musicianship, it's all very appealing. Cocteau twins have a unique sonic quality that isn't alienating, blending the novel with the familiar.

Not my favorite and honestly pretty boring to me. 2/5

Every other dream pop album can go home, this is literally the peak of what the genre can do. Every song is so space-y, it makes you feel as though you are constantly hovering slightly above the ground so that you're still in touch with what is happening around you, yet you'll find yourself swaying with each and every track, in a trance like state that does not break until the album finishes with one of the greatest songs of all time. You may not always understand the lyrics, but you know every emotion behind them is real by the intensity of every instrument, along with the amazing, angelic delivery from Elizabeth Fraser. Drugs are not needed to get swept off your feet by the love and just general musicianship, and capturing every season of the year on top of that is truly expert song craftsmanship. In short, I love this album, its dreamy.

Quite a hypnotic experience. This is one of those albums you can really drown away in and enjoy. As a result I can't really pick a favorite song here, but the entire album overall is a joy to listen to. There's plenty of variation on here as well. I can hardly make out the instruments but the overall album is just a pleasant 40 minute soundscape.

Ich versteh nix, könnte besser sein, aber da fehlt was. 2 Sternchen

Reminds me of Röyksopp.