The Cocteau Twins’ discography is the perfect ideal of “dreamy” and “ethereal” music. But 1986’s Victorialand, is something else entirely. Working without bassist Simon Raymonde, who had been recruited by 4AD head Ivo Watts-Russell to work on This Mortal Coil’s Filigree & Shadow, singer Elizabeth Fraser and guitarist Robin Guthrie decided to eschew anything that could potentially weigh down their music. Hence, the near-complete absence of any drums, percussion, or bass.

As a result, a song like “Whales Tails” contains nothing but Fraser’s inimitable voice lost amidst Guthrie’s scintillating guitars. Which, as it turns out, is all you need to create music that’s by turns enigmatic, otherworldly, and beguiling. As for the song’s lyrics, good luck deciphering them; Fraser pulled them from books and dictionaries written in languages she didn’t understand. It might all be nonsense, but when sung in that angelic voice of hers, they gain a sense of mystery and profundity.