Oddly enough, Siouxsie & The Banshees was the name of a group I used to write on my book binders in junior high and high school before I even heard the band. I thought the band name was interesting and the friends I had who knew the group told me how difficult it was to find their music. I guess on some level, that discouraged me from looking for it.
I started buying their music during the early 90's in Vegas when I found a cheap used CD store. Although "The Rapture" wasn't the first disc I purchased from this band, it's easily my favorite.
The first track, 'O Baby' features a scattered drum track over some ethereal guitar work. Siouxsie's voice is framed quite nicely by the musical arrangement and she sparkles like glittering gems with her subtle vibrato. 'Tearing Apart' is the second track and much like the first track, it maintains the light hearted pace of the disc. It's another outstanding track.
'Stargazer' bursts forth and moves the album out of the adult contemporary pop market and delivers something verging on epic. It's driving pace and depth make it seem grandiose large. It's followed by 'Fall From Grace'. This song is interesting because it demonstrates a phenomenon unique to this band's sound. Even a song that is somewhat mediocre seems special when they perform it. Maybe it's the timbre of Souixsie's voice or the vocal arrangements. It certainly slows the pace and spirals you down into the next number, 'Not Forgotten'. This song sounds like the spooky backdrop for a bloody western film.
And speaking of spooky, 'Sick Child' is truly haunting. It's reminiscent of something The The would've done around the time they recorded "Soul Mining". It's disturbing like a Grimm fairy tale and powerful. Amazing! Thus far, the album has followed a direction and the progression between songs has had a natural feel. But suddenly, you're hit with 'The Lonely One'. With it's slightly upbeat music and strange melancholic lyrics, this number feels completely out of place. 'Falling Down' is a much better number to follow, 'Sick Child'. It has more aggression and force. It kinda hits you like a 1, 2 jab. It also has elements of early punk and 80's alternative rock.
'Forever' waltz's in like a 50's prom theme. You picture poodle skirts, gloves and wrist corsages. I also imagine an under the sea motif in a school gymnasium. It politely sets the stage for 'The Rapture'. A suite like number with three distinct progressions. It begins with light synth lines playing over a soft bass line and slight guitar work. Siouxsie eventually comes in and sings ever so slightly over the top of the music. There's an orchestra build into what I can only describe as a highland romp. The tempo increases, the volume spikes and intensity spikes up as well... And then, as suddenly as the build begins, the bottom drops out and we're back to strum pace with guitars featuring and the drum track changing the direction one again.
'The Double Life' is a spoken number that acts as a nice segue to the final number, 'Love Out Me'. The final number is a strong and powerful number to end the disc on. It's forceful, aggressive and slightly scary. Siouxsie comes across as a woman you don't wanna mess with.
So overall, this is a cohesive piece of music with one exception. And I enjoy all the songs enough to listen to the disc all the way through each time. It's almost as if fate destined me to discover and listen to this remarkable artist. My final words: A BAND THAT LIVED UP TO EXPECTATION!
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES - THE RAPTURE
01. O Baby
02. Tearing Apart
03. Stargazer
04. Fall From Grace
05. Not Forgotten
06. Sick Child
07. The Lonely One
08. Falling Down
09. Forever
10. The Rapture
11. The Double Life
12. Love Out Me
