After
Join Hands
, guitarist
John McKay
and drummer
Kenny Morris
departed
the Banshees
, leaving the band at a crossroads.
Siouxsie Sioux
and
Steven Severin
elected to soldier on with ex-
Slits
drummer
Budgie
and two guitarists, ex-
Sex Pistol
Steve Jones
John McGeoch
of
Magazine
as guest
Banshees
. Despite the personnel upheaval, the result is a surprisingly strong record:
Kaleidoscope
. While a number of the songs here are still dark-hued and feature bleak lyrics, they are made very palatable by extraordinarily imaginative production values featuring intricate synthesizer-flecked arrangements; psychedelic touches in
"Christine,"
spaceship synthesizer swoops in
"Tenant,"
and rhythmic camera clicks in
"Red Light"
all enliven their respective songs. Sound quality here is lighter and much clearer than on previous releases.
Sioux
's singing shows noticeable improvement here, still tuneless at times but also exhibiting more range and subtlety than previously. The song
"Hybrid,"
a
Joy Division
-style number, shows her vocals running the gamut from primitive to inspired. Other highlights include the galloping, vibrant up-tempo number
"Skin,"
the spooky and atmospheric
"Lunar Camel,"
the medium-tempo rocker
"Trophy,"
and the punky vocalise
"Clockface."
was a make-or-break album for
Siouxsie and the Banshees
, and happily the band came through strongly. ~ David Cleary