The Seven Year Itch Reviews

Siouxsie & the Banshees reunited because they felt like it, not just because of the money. At least, that’s the only thing that sprang to mind while listening to this uneven live set. Siouxsie Sioux has lost practically all of her upper range, and while she was never really able to hit those high notes in concerts, her voice was more elastic during their heyday. It is now a seductive, disturbing smoked out husk. It adds a new layer of ominous razor edge to the songs. The band sounds fantastic, in fine form really. The only problem is that the setlist is one droning, dark, depressing song after another. There’s little attention paid to chart topping hits or the variety of sounds they covered. Yes, The Scream deservedly gets a lot of attention but where is “Hong Kong Garden?” And for that matter, what happened to “Kiss Them for Me,” “Face to Face,” “The Killing Jar,” “Christine,” “Spellbound” or “Carcass”? All would have been most welcome. Their version of “Blue Jay Way” proves that they could always do a wicked Beatles cover. “Blue Jay Way” has never sounded so disturbed or macabre. This is a fans only type of release. DOWNLOAD: “Blue Jay Way”