43 years ago on today (10 July 1982), Cocteau Twins released their debut studio album “Garlands” - kicking off an impressive and influential run of albums and EPs over the next fourteen years.
In a 2020 review, Dom Gourley of Under the Radar stated that the album "represented a year zero for alternative guitar music," adding that "songs like 'Wax and Wane' and 'But I’m Not' undoubtedly influenced a generation of effects pedalled guitar slingers decades on." In 2021, Mark Clifford of Seefeel praised the album's production and use of drum machine backing: "I don’t think they get credited enough for that. Garlands, it’s basically electronic beats with noise on top."