Elizabeth Fraser: A lost voice?

Yes. I can hear you all crying out, “Who?”. Fraser is a Scottish vocalist, lyricist and front woman of the ambient-alternative band Cocteau Twins. Between herself and her band-mates - Robin Guthrie and Will Hegie - the band produced eight albums before disbanding in 1998.

Fraser’s vocals are unmistakable; Popmatters.com describes her voice as a “soft siren”. She delivers complex melodies with delicate beauty and powerful gusto almost all at once. Her lyrics however open interesting debate - they are almost impossible to decipher.

Fraser’s work does not end with Cocteau Twins. She has recorded with Massive Attack on several occasions, contributing her vocals to hits such as “Teardrop”. Fraser has also expanded her talents into movie sound tracking, working on Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. She also performed with composer Craig Armstrong for the soundtrack to Cruel Intentions, in which she surrenders a spellbinding piece named “This Love”. Fraser’s trademark techniques should heralded as a unique contribution to music.

Recommended listening;

Cocteau Twins - “Heaven or Las Vegas” from the album “Heaven or Las Vegas”, 1990.

Craig Armstrong featuring Elizabeth Fraser - “This love”, from the album “The Space Between Us”, 1998.