Siouxsie Sioux: Mantaray
Siouxsie Sioux's Mantaray is out now
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Monday, 10, Sep 2007 10:00
W14, out now.
In a nutshell.
Strident, dark, theatrical, powerful, bewitching
What's it all about?
Mantaray is Siouxsie's first official solo outing after stints with The Banshees and The Creatures. The album contains elements that will be familiar with fans of Siouxsie's previous output - but is also a step in a different direction for one of punk's most recognisable icons.
Who's it by
Best known for her startlingly dark punk in Siouxsie and the Banshees, Siouxsie Sioux is, along with Debbie Harry, one of the most important female artists to emerge from the birth of punk and its evolution into post-punk. Nearly 30 years on from Siouxsie and the Banshees' landmark debut The Scream, Siouxsie has finally embarked on her very own project.
As an example.
If it doesn't kill you, it will shape you / If it doesn't break you it will make you / Don't be afraid - If It Doesn't Kill You
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
There's a slim chance that the Grammy judges will overlook newer talent for Siouxsie's debut... but, perhaps sadly, it's unlikely.
What the others say
"Sioux has never sounded quite like this, a strutting cross between her old self, Shirley Bassey, Marlene Dietrich and Sioux fan PJ Harvey. There are jagged rock riffs, timps and dancefloor beats." - the Guardian
"Even in its clever, professional navigation of the territory of a Siouxsie solo record - the solid bid at star-power pop and the spooked hard edges for the truly devoted - it has to let something fall by the wayside. Gone is the sense that Siouxsie Sioux is still working on music that might push hard in some new direction." - Pitchfork
So is it any good?
Siouxsie has created a mesmerising record that is capable of both intriguing new listeners and comforting fans that she has lost none of her musical verve over the years.
Opener Into A Swan is the perfect track to soundtrack Siouxsie's transformation into a solid solo artist, combining Banshees-style guitar and PJ Harvey-like vocals into an all-out pop tour de force, while One Mile Below harks back to the tribal undertones of her early career.
Here Comes That Day, Loveless and They Follow You see the record take on a more sinister, darker tone, with closer Heaven & Alchemy showing Siouxsie in a strangely quiet yet optimistic mood.
Yet despite this mixture of pop, rock and even something like cabaret, and the wonderful cornucopia of guitar, electronic and downright creepy sounds, the album doesn't quite manage to tread into 'must-have' territory. The songs are strong enough in their own right, but one perhaps gets the impression that Siouxsie hasn't quite managed to reach the dizzy heights that she is more than capable of surpassing while performing solo. But that doesn't mean she won't do so in the future.
7/10
Dipika Patel