The Fall Album You're Probably Not Listening to

The autumn season comes with such a specific energy. Of course we have the cultural phenomenon of things such as Ugg boots or the Starbucks pumpkin spice latte, but often people will also look to music to fit the autumnal vibe as well. 

With this desire for a fall energy comes classic albums such as Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” or even more contemporary songs such as girl in red’s “we fell in love in october.” 

However, one piece of music has been severely overlooked within popular culture’s fall time music conversation. That album is “Heaven or Las Vegas,” (1990) by Scottish alternative band Cocteau Twins. 

Cocteau Twins, a trio who made music between the years of 1979 and 1997, are known for their peculiar music sound. Their subgenre within the alternative genre was known as “dream pop,” which was born out of psychedelia and has a heavy emphasis on the atmosphere and texture of the music itself. 

Within the Cocteau Twins’ dream pop works, they actually helped define the shoegaze genre, which falls under the dream pop umbrella. Shoegaze blends the sonic textures of dream pop with an ethereal set of obscure vocals.

This specific sound is found heavily within their album, “Heaven or Las Vegas,” which is what makes this album a quintessential autumnal piece.

Imagine walking down the street, with your most comfortable sweatshirt on while the cold wind blows through your hair and freezes your nose. The crunch of a perfectly browned leaf under your foot, as you go about your day. 

That exact picture is what the album sounds like.

The album’s opening track, “Cherry-coloured funk,” encapsulates that by utilizing the dreamy instrumentals mixed with frontwoman Elizabeth Fraser’s mildly operatic yet ethereal voice. It’s almost impossible to make out the lyrics on first listen; but that in itself helps capture the vibe.

The entire album in itself is extremely cohesive, with each song sounding like a sibling to each other. The dreamy elements of the shoegaze and dream pop genres shine through strongly, creating the perfect album for watching the leaves fall and wandering aimlessly in the cold. 

The album’s title track, “Heaven or Las Vegas,” is another personal favorite, as it somehow manages to slow down an already slow album. This song is the auditory equivalent of laying down in the grass, surrounded by foliage, with your eyes closed, as the cool breeze hugs your body.

A final personal favorite off the album would be the track “Fotzepolitic,” which just feels like being lost in the woods. Not that there’s woods in Fullerton, but a guy can fantasize.

Overall, the ten-tracked album perfectly captures the fall energy, and needs to be given the level of attention that Stevie Nicks’ works do. At least for myself, the season would not be the same without this album.