I have been listening to the voice of Siouxsie Sioux since the 1981 release of “Spellbound,” the first single off of Siouxsie and the Banshee’s classic Juju album, a record often cited as the progenitor of all things goth. Siouxsie has evolved from post-punk to goth to alterna-pop as the ferocious front-woman of the Banshees, and explored various world musics with Budgie, her drummer husband and Creatures collaborator.
Siouxsie is now 50, divorced from said husband and, after 30 years in the music business, has released her first solo album, Mantaray. She has always been a bit of a chameleon; anyone following her career won’t be a bit surprised with her updated sound and the exploration of yet another sonic space. No longer Siouxsie Sioux, Mantaray marks the dark diva’s arrival as another of those one-named artists, just Siouxsie — though I suppose she’s been that all along.
The album opener, “Into a Swan” announces Siouxsie’s return with a grinding, propulsive beat and the mantra, “I feel a force I’ve never felt before.” Indeed, it bursts onto the airwaves, with a fierce statement of intent, twisting a new-found sense of purpose into a threat. The song is irresistible. No matter the quality of any Siouxsie album, she has always known how to make a proper single. Even the low-point of the Banshees’ career, 1991’s Superstition lead off with “Kiss Them for Me,” an instant classic. At their best, Siouxsie, the Banshees and The Creatures create music that coils itself around the ears and burrows deep into the brain.
The second track, “About to Happen,” with its cheesy synth line and simplistic dance beat, is a throw away. Press the skip button and move on to “Here Comes That Day,” a slinky ode to comeuppance. The song is full of humor, drama and swing, with dazzling big band horns and an (oft mentioned) Shirley Bassey flavor. This is a direction Siouxsie has mined before with The Creatures’ 1984 cover of “Right Now,” but “Here Comes That Day” sounds urgent and modern.
All in all, there are three songs on the album that I can take or leave. “One Mile Below” sounds like a mediocre Banshees B-side and the album closer “Heaven and Alchemy,” which would fit perfectly on a Tina Turner record, is just too mainstream a sound for Siouxsie. Perhaps it’s unfair to ask her to push harder. How many pop masterpieces should we expect from one artist? Unfortunately for Siouxsie, each album whets the appetite for more — more experimentation, more growth and more drama. And the drum track on “Loveless” just makes me miss Budgie, one of the most innovative drummers ever to anchor a pop band. Too bad their divorce settlement didn’t include a clause forcing him to drum for his ex-frontwoman forever.