Mantaray : Siouxsie : Review : Rolling Stone

Dear fierceness --can you come out to play? Goth-punk goddess Siouxsie Sioux hasn’t sounded this tough since the Banshees fell apart more than a decade ago. She recently split with husband and musical partner Budgie, who drummed for the Banshees and joined her in the globe-trotting adventures of the Creatures; it’s the goth equivalent of a royal divorce. But with all her cities in dust, Siouxsie concentrates all her eccentric music powers on her first solo album ever, one where you don’t have to keep telling yourself “but it’s Siouxsie” to pay attention. Great hooks like “Loveless” and “About to Happen” twist the tricks she’s re-learned from young disciples such as Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Liars and Arcade Fire. She busts out her Frau Blucher voice for crypt-cabaret ballads like “Sea of Tranquility”and “Heaven and Alchemy,” switching into latex-dominatrix mode for the brassy ersatz Bond theme “Here Comes That Day.” After thirty years in the game, Siouxsie still can’t be stopped.

ROB SHEFFIELD

(Posted: Oct 18, 2007)

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4of 5 Stars

I have no idea where Rolling Stone gets the idea that Siouxsie and her variations were ever goth, since this has never been the case. Those of us who actually have been paying attention to her career over the past 25 years know that she was never goth, if you have to start labeling - so think of another label. Her latest recordings remind me of some of her earliest days, and her more edgy side. Although some qualities of the songs are reminiscent of past recordings, the sound is new and vital. She's still on the cusp and has stood the test of time. This album will be no different than her others in this regard.

Jan 8, 2008 20:29:44

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