REVIEW: The Creatures, Anima Animus (Instinct)
- Chelsea Spear
Punk chanteuse and all-around force of nature Siouxsie Sioux arrived on the scene in 1977 like an unholy cross between Elvira and Pamela Des Barres -- and, as with all rock and roll icons from the UK, she did us one better than that description would suggest. After shedding her groupie status and providing us with over twenty years of the finest droney, dancey goth punk known to man, Sioux dissolved her main band, the Banshees, to make beautiful music with her husband, Budgie, in the Creatures.
The Creatures's fourth album, Anima Animus, shouldn't alienate any longtime fans of Siouxsie and the Banshees. As in her former band, Siouxsie's indomitable voice and humourously creepy worldview is at the center of the proceedings, as on "Exterminating Angel", a Gregorian chant-influenced tune whose grotesque lyrics detail the unfolding action in the Book of Revelations. However, while some of the ingredients remain a constant throughout this affair, the album finds Siouxsie and Budgie experimenting with new sonic ideas (or, at least, new compared to their previous work). The arrangements are occasionally stripped down to a sinewy combo of Sioux's voice and Budgie's energetic, melodic percussion, and the songs frequently try different angles than one would hear on a Siouxsie and the Banshees album, such as the lushly poppy "Say", and the cinematic slow burn of "I Was Me!" The production draws from lush drum 'n' bass techno influence and brings in some effects that really draw listeners in, such as the dinner party sounds on opening track "Second Floor".
This probably isn't the most representative place for new devotees of Siouxsie to start. However, those looking for new angles on electronically-inspired pop, or longtime fans of a thriving punk diva who want to watch a continually fascinating career unfold, will not be disappointed.
