The Cocteau Twins

Ethereal.  Atmospheric.  Otherworldly.  Powerful.  From 1979 to 1997 the Cocteau Twins employed musical soundscapes and lyrics that built a cult following and passionate inspiration for well-known pop musicians.  

Yet there is an enduring mystery.  Fans and critics alike have been awed by the music and entranced by the beauty and power of vocalist Liz Fraser’s singing.  But with hardly any published lyrics, and with Liz herself frequently explaining that most of her lyrics lacked traditional structure and were borrowed from other languages, only the most determined souls have attempted translations of the Twin’s lyrics into conventional prose that might convey meaning. 

However, a simpler appreciation for the evolution of the Cocteau Twins’ music can be found by looking at the frequency and distribution of commonly appearing words across their body of work.  This provides an alternative view of the development of Liz’s lyrics, while respecting and enjoying the delightful intrigue of the veils cast between expression, meaning and translation. 

1979 - 1997

The entire span of their career is represented, with connections between albums, songs, and words, with the most frequent words appearing centrally in the visualization.

Details

The visualization is richly rendered, allowing close inspection and enjoyment of the album coverwork, the songs, and the connections between albums, songs, and words.

Legends, Annotations and Commentary

The visualization is annotated with storytelling of the Cocteau Twin's history, as well as legends and explanations of the arrangement of words, songs and albums.