This Mortal Coil - It'll End In Tears (Album Review)

 

This Mortal Coil - It’ll End In Tears

(1984)


My copy: 1984 press by 4AD.


The story of This Mortal Coil is unique as the super group was birthed by 4AD boss Ivo Watts-Russell essentially as an excuse to produce covers of his favorite songs with the help of the 4AD roster. Featuring members of Cocteau Twins was an obvious choice but the record also includes performers from Dead Can Dance, Cindytalk, Colourbox and Modern English. The covers collect takes on artists like Big Star, Tim Buckley and even Colin Newman (best known for his time in Wire). 

The album opens with “Kangaroo,” a cover of the Big Star song here with moody cello and chorus-ified bass. The Mortal Coil rendition is a big smoother, more dreamlike while the original is slightly unsettled with deeper implications. This matches 4AD’s focus on more ethereal releases, as the track is transformed into an emotional blanket with the vocals of Gordon Sharp of Cindytalk. “Song To The Siren” is Tim Buckley now made more tender by Elizabeth Fraser’s (Cocteau Twins) dynamic howls. The album returns to Big Star with “Holocaust” featuring much brighter piano than the original track, boosting everything with rich harmonies between the strings and vocals of Howard Devoto. While the original Big Star tracks are a bit more personal and harrowing, there is merit in the wider atmosphere of the 4AD covers.

“Fyt” is the first original composition, beginning low with rumbling synth that sounds as though it were recorded underwater. A drum loop slowly rises with a melody, with trickling effects paving the road for ringing organ chords. While it is interesting how the instruments rearrange themselves under the loops, the originals on the B-side are a bit more expansive. “Fond Affections” by Rema Rema gets the most active overhaul, going from bitter and twisted to steady and emotional. The vocal synths haven’t aged well, but the human vocals and keys both falling in and out of the background make things more interesting. “The Last Ray” was partially written by Watts-Russell himself and starts with quiet guitar before booming drum loops break in. More of a traditional dream pop track, icy bass and guitars are provided by Simon Raymonde and Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins. The song resolves, reprising the melody from “Kangaroo” quietly before ending the A-side. 

“Another Day” by Roy Harper is again reworked with Elizabeth Fraser behind the microphone, drowning the vocal melodies in reverb to create a sea of reflections. Lisa Gerard of Dead Can Dance then helms a trilogy of songs with Raymonde that contain the richest atmosphere and continuity of the album. “Waves Like Wings” is nebulous and swaying, with Gerard’s calls sounding like prophetic dreamspeak. It is grand but tense in arrangement until the atmosphere spills into the twinkling, Reassuring guitars of “Barramundi.” The background waves from the start are now more noticeable, panning from left to right with groaning bass. All instruments glitter in the sunset until the waves overcome everything. Droning vocals from Gerard return on “Dreams Made Flesh” before melodies from a Chinese dulcimer run rampant under powerful, haunting singing. Gerard’s performance climaxes with mad falsettos and deep drum beats before settling down. 

“Not Me” by Wire’s Colin Newman is an odd choice here, but it is made to work well with sharp guitars and bombastic chrouses. The core difference is that most instruments are run through chorus to try and make things a bit dreamier though the cover works best when it is at its most chaotic. “A Single Wish” is a final original from members of Cindytalk, Colourbox and Cocteau Twins, with a muffled bass melody that duels with bright piano. Gordon Sharp’s vocals pick up, building in strength only to drop the title of the record before everything crumbles to dust. 

It’ll End In Tears has a fascinating history to it, and is valuable for potentially opening wider audiences not only to some of the best 4AD artists but also to an array of important artists whose music is covered within. Some covers are stripped of personality in place of ambiance, but it is mostly done with tact and versatility. Still, the best run of the album are the three songs written by Lisa Gerard and Simon Raymonde. Some of the sounds are dated and washed out, but it’s a great introduction to what 4AD has to offer.

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