Chicago Tribune (6.20.91)

Home Entertainment...Recordings

Greg Kot

Siouxsie and the Banshees
Superstition (Geffen) (STAR)(STAR)

This crisply produced pleasantry lacks even a hint of the spectral malevolence that made earlier Banshees records so alluring. Nor does it have any of the quirky blues and twisted Spanish accents that singer Siouxsie Sioux and percussionist Budgie, calling themselves the Creatures, concocted on last year's side project, "Boomerang."

Those attracted to the band because of such magnificent pop singles as "Cities in Dust" will find "Kiss Them for Me" a worthy successor. But just about everything else smacks of cliche: "Alone and left to ponder everything/Alone and left to puzzle out all the pain"; "Here I sit in paradise/My head between my hands" - we all know the pose. And beneath glossy synth pop such as "Shadowtime" and "Silly Thing," there's A Flock of Seagulls record yearning to break free.

Ratings:
Excellent (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Good (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Fair (STAR)(STAR)
Poor (STAR)

Contributed by Jerry Burch.