Ivo Watts-Rusell once called Cocteau Twins’ Heaven or Las Vegas his favorite 4AD release, and given the label’s iconic catalog, that’s no small compliment. But Heaven or Las Vegas is a truly rapturous album, the Platonic ideal of the dream pop genre. Liz Fraser’s voice has never been more angelic while Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymonde’s swirling soundscapes are immaculate.

But for all of its glorious sounds, the album actually emerged from a shadowy time in the band’s existence. Guthrie had grown increasingly addicted to cocaine, straining his relationship with Fraser, who was pregnant with their child. Meanwhile, Raymonde’s father died during the recording sessions, inspiring him to write “Frou-Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires.”

Like every other track on Heaven or Las Vegas, “Frou-Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires” is an absolute jewel of a song, and its somber opening and soaring finale perfectly captures the sorrow and joy that surrounded the album’s production.