Album: This Mortal Coil, This Mortal Coil (4AD)

 

Andy Gill
Wednesday 28 December 2011 11:21 EST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A "Gothic dream-pop supergroup" led by 4AD founder Ivo Watts-Russell, This Mortal Coil established a style of brooding chamber-pop from which would derive subsequent ruminative indie strains like shoegazing.

The project began as a vehicle for Ivo's personal taste, with Tim Buckley and Big Star songs prominent in its repertoire - notably the exquisite cover of Buckley's "Song To The Siren" - while various Cocteau Twins and members of Dead Can Dance formed the core of the musical realisations. It proved important in the reaffirmation of certain hippie principles - folk purity, psychedelic imagination, prog ambition - in the wake of punk's blanket scorched-earth eradication of prior styles. This 4CD compilation of the TMC oeuvre, though ponderous and solemn at times, displays an influential interest in texture over the imperatives of pop songcraft, reaching its fullest realisation with the often overlooked third album Blood.

Download This: Song To The Siren; Another Day; The Jeweller; I Am The Cosmos

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in