Juju

Perfect for a morning run

A haunting, more Halloween-esque take on post-punk, which may seem like an obvious connection to some, but boy does this album go the extra mile to make it feel like Halloween night. You've got the upbeat costume party songs, the haunted house tracks, and you've got songs that just genuinely make you tense up, like walking home alone at night. However, the album isn't droning, instead still having those energetic drum and bass (not the genre) pick-ups to get you still grooving despite the unease, and Siouxie Sioux's vocals are just unique, especially since having a female vocalist is oddly rare in the genre, at least when discussing the big players, so for her to stand toe-to-toe with the best of them is not only impressive, it's a critical achievement. Pull it all together with tight songwriting, and a relatively quick album, and it's not hard to see why they're considered one of the heavy hitters of the genre. Spooky yet catchy is starting to become one of my favorite things an album can be, and this is a subtle yet impactful banger. Now please put it back on streaming!

That’s a fucking great 4, wow. It’d be a 5 if we had gotten this around Halloween instead of March, and it could totally still be a 5 the more I listen to it.

There is absolutely no way you could have convinced me this album was from 1981, because from top to bottom, it feels at least a decade ahead of its time in terms of production and its general sound. The guitar work is absolutely on fucking fire here, no matter which song or which style, and the same goes for the percussion.

The only reason I can’t really give this a 5 on the first go-around is that there are a few points where the lyrics felt a bit too silly for the tone of the song, and a few points where there was a sort of emptiness carried by the instrumentation that took me out of it. Regardless, it’s at least a 4, and a great album for 1981.

Dunkles Punk Rock Album mit starken Gothic Elementen die die dunkle und prägnante Stimme von Siouxsie in ihre Song integriert. Die Lieder reihen sich in ein Gesamtwerk ein, was aber teilweise in Extrem dunkle und schräge Elemente abdriftet. „Arabian Knights“ ist ein Grundlagen späterer Wave Klassiker alla Smiths & Cure. Zur Wiederholung geeignet wenn Stimmung Wave ist 😉👍

I wanted to like this more, but it was all pretty uninteresting. I enjoyed it at first, but by the end, I was over it. I don’t like the vocals, especially the yelps and growls. The rest of the music just didn’t seem to have the energy to fit that. Either did the rest of the singer’s performance. This got real close to getting a two.

All in all this album was o.k. I can see how it pioneered certain indie esthetics down the road. However, in the grand scheme of things, it seems like this will migrate off of this list as many of the tracks are underwhelming or forgettable. 2/5

I don't know what post-punk means, but this was enjoyable to listen to. 3*. Also this being from the 80s sounds way ahead of its time.
Enjoyed: Sin in my heart (the guitar reminded me a lot of Muse)

So much MEH.

Btw yesterday I was confused and reviewed the album from the day before again. The punk one was ok. I wasn't quite in a punk mood

Bass lines on every song are fantastic.

Appropriately for the date we got this, Halloween is one of the best songs on this album. Other highlights; Monitor, the instrumental intro of "Sin in My Heart". The drumming on the 12 inch mix of Spellbound, included as a bonus track, is quite something.

After listening to Juju, It has become my favorite album I reviewed through this project so far. Siouxsie's singing was really great and the music was absolutely top notch for what it was. I didn't think that this album would become my favorite so far (topping Jeff Buckley's Grace) but here we are. My first 5 star album on this project for sure.
Best Song: Monitor
Worst Song: Into The Light

I wish I like this more. I like the genre, like the asthetic, like the ideas, but none of the songs captured me.

The best album that I discovered here so far... I didn't know the band before besides their popular song, Happy House, which I love.
After a few listens it's definitely going to be among my favourites.

Oh no. Post Punk/Goth.... Like Joy Division? Fuck. That is exactly what this noise is, except not so depressing, and with a singer who can actually sing.

This music sounds like the B-52's if they became depressed goths. It is very dark and brooding. Siouxsie Sioux does have a very good voice, it's just the dark, dank mood that this type of music spins (kind of like Morrissey in that they just need to cheer the fuck up). This is probably good music, it just really did nothing in the way of connecting with me today.

This album is definately stacked heavier on the front half. The back half descends into this trashy goth vibe. Voodoo Dolly is literally 7 minutes of fucking noise and nonsense lyrics. Seriously?

Favourite songs: Spellbound, Arabian Knights, Halloween

Least favourite songs: Voodoo Dolly, Night Shift, Monitor

2/5

I'm not that familiar with this band, apart from their major hits. However, I loved this from start to finish and will definitely be revisiting it. Love the overall aesthetic, the vocals, and the unusual guitar sounds. This seems to have been really original for the time.

What can I say, I love post-punk. The guitars here are next level, and Siouxsie's vocals are simply mindblowing. Well deserved to be on this list.

Hey this was extremely good! I don't think I could have survived school years if I'd been checked into gothy stuff, but their music continues to be fantastic

I wasn't familiar with Siouxsie and the Banshees at all. This album took me by surprise, enjoyed it very much.

Despite not being familiar with it, I couldn't shake that feeling of early 80s nostalgia, the guitars are so otherworldly, feels like you're taking a peak behind the dark curtain, and disliking how the shadowy machinery of that neoliberal Cold War world really worked.

So far ahead of its time that I don't think its time has come yet.

First time listening to Siouxise and the Banshees, loved this album ,really starts with a bang, dark and melodic with great female vocals gives it a right badass feel. Been swaying between and 4 and a 5 all day, but this really is an album I’ll listen to a lot now, so due to personal taste this gets 5 stars.