Chicago Tribune (2.15.90)

Home Entertainment . . . Recordings

Greg Kot

The Creatures
Boomerang (Geffen) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR) 1/2

Here's the tale of what two moonlighting banshees - Siouxsie and the Banshees, that is - did on their Spanish vacation. A tour de force of voice and percussion, occasionally augmented by horns, "Boomerang" is essentially Siouxsie Sioux and Budgie thinking dark thoughts in the Andalusian countryside.

Budgie's stream of rhythmic effects evokes all sorts of influences (the blues, tribal drumming, birds, mariachi dancers), while Siouxsie sings with grace and power. Yes, sings. Once she sent audiences diving for cover with her predatory shrieks, now she's learned to carry a tune and create a mood without raising her voice. There's plenty of the old Banshees' bile in cuts like "Standing There" and "Strolling Wolf," but "Simoom" and "Venus Sands" sound as intoxicating as their titles, and "Morinna," the LP's closing cut, is simply a gorgeous ballad. Quite a menagerie.

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Contributed by Jerry Burch.