In the days before the Arctic Monkeys, people used to do some quite different things with guitars. Robin Guthrie’s Cocteau Twins spearheaded a mystical movement of ethereal sounds in the mid nineties, influencing a whole legion of important acts.

Since then he’s set up the well respected label, Belle Union, that has spurned the likes of  The Dears, and Howling Bells, whilst tinkering away in his home studio creating fascinating instrumental albums.‘Continental’, like The Cocteau Twins later works, is steeped in dreamy trance like atmosphere’s, swirling guitar effects, and heavily reverbed guitars, depicting delicate melody. It isn’t a radical departure from those early shoegazey ethics, all that is missing is Liz Frazer’s mesmerising vocals.

Despite being only aided occasionally by distant choral collaborations These songs are both beautiful and relaxing without plummeting into easy listening territory. Think Sigur Ros dancing on the clouds with Lush and as well as having a totally ludicrous pretentious image, you are kind of on the right lines.  In an industry obsessed with angular guitar acts and ridiculous sounding vocalists, Robin Guthrie’s spacey sonic adventures are ever more important…

James Heward