Cocteau Twins / Aikea-Guinea
Artist Cocteau Twins
Box Set Title: CD Single Box Set
Album Title: Aikea-Guinea
Album Cover:
Primary Genre Alternative & Punk: Ambient/Dream Pop
Format CD Single
Released 03/04/1985
Reissue Date 11/04/1991
Label 4AD/Capitol Records
Catalog No C2-15771
Bar Code No 0 7777-15788-2 3
Packaging Box Set (10 Disk)
Tracks
1. Aikea-Guinea (3:56)
2. Kookaburra (3:19)
3. Quisquose (4:10)
4. Rococo (3:07)
Date Acquired 11/09/1991
Personal Rating
Acquired from Electric Fetus - Duluth

Web Links

All Music Guide Entry (EP):
All Music Guide Entry (Box Set):
Discogs Entry (Box Set):

Reviews
All Music Guide Review:

Review by Ned Raggett
The immediate follow-up to Treasure didn't match the effortless heights of that album, but still came darn close throughout, providing another brief, affecting precis of the trio at its best. The title track became another well-deserved Twins standard, a deceptively simple bass/guitar/drum combination driving away at its core, while Fraser sings beautifully over it all, matched by a swirl of Guthrie's production touches (piano, mock choir, and so forth). "Kookaburra" follows squarely in the path of faster Cocteaus tracks as "Because of Whirl-Jack," though here Fraser's vocals are more sweet and less dramatically piercing. Guthrie's guitar takes center stage here, starting the track with echoing swirls leading into the main riff. "Quisquose" puts piano up front as main accompaniment for one of Fraser's more adventurous vocals, mixing a high main lyric with a more free form performance set against it, calling to mind the slightly similar contrast in vocal takes on "Lorelei." The instrumental "Rococo" ends the EP with style, a quiet bass/percussion opening leading into one of Guthrie's trademark fusions of feedback, volume, and heavily-produced beauty. Raymonde's bass stands out strongly throughout as well, a fine combination.
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