My introduction to This Mortal Coil came via my friend Eric, who wore one of their t-shirts in high school. Angst-ridden teen that I was, the band’s name was absolute catnip for me. And their album was titled It’ll End in Tears? I’m pretty sure it became one of my favorite albums before I’d even heard it. This Mortal Coil, however, was less of a band, but rather, a way for 4AD founder Ivo Watts-Russell to pay tribute to some of his favorite artists while giving 4AD artists the opportunity to record more unconventional material.

It’ll End in Tears is most famous for Elizabeth Fraser and Robin Guthrie’s cover of Tim Buckley’s “Song to the Siren”; initially recorded as an afterthought, it’s arguably 4AD’s most well-known and beloved song. But the album features many sublime delights. I’ve always been partial to the collective’s rendition of Alex Chilton’s “Holocaust,” with its heart-wrenching string arrangements and piano melodies and Howard Devoto’s piercing voice. “Fyt” and “The Last Ray” are a pair of suitably gloomy instrumentals, while Fraser’s voice also shines on a cover of Harper’s “Another Day.”

“Waves Become Wings” is a sublime piece by Dead Can Dance’s Lisa Gerrard that features her otherworldly contralto set against oceanic drones. And finally, the album concludes with “A Single Wish,” a stark ballad highlighted by Cindy Sharp’s dramatic voice, Steven Young’s piano, and Simon Raymonde’s textural arrangements. (Raymonde is arguably the album’s MVP, contributing his production and playing to nearly half of the album’s songs.)

Topping it all off, It’ll End in Tears boasts some of 23 Envelope’s best design work. Vaughan Oliver’s typography and layout are elegant and classy — and inspired many of my own initial forays into graphic design — while Nigel Grierson’s spectral photo of Pallas Citroen is a perfect visual metaphor for 4AD’s moody and ethereal sound.